Resurrection: A Bonkai Fan Fiction
by writeturnlove
Summary: This tells the story of Bonnie Bennett, who attempts to resurrect Kai only to learn a powerful secret about herself, her family, and the man she's grown to hate.
1. Chapter 1

Resurrection: Chapter One

By V.C. Turner

Bonnie placed the last candle on a small brass pedestal engraved with the letter "B." She sat cross-legged in the center of a circle cloaked in the darkness of the woods just outside town. She smiled in satisfaction at this one candle of power: a coal black piece of wax, expertly molded into a cylinder that stood five inches tall.

A shimmering ring of gold encircled its base. The wick poking out of its top was black, not white, like the other ten candles around her. It was different. It was special. She had made the masterpiece from the remains left behind after Kai's body was burned.

Hating him had been her passion. Resurrecting him had become her obsession.

Bonnie tried to bring him back using traditional magic, earth magic and representational magic. None of it worked. Desperation was consuming her each day. Damon had no right to kill Kai so quickly. The man deserved to suffer for all he'd put her through: the stabbing, the torture, and the abandonment. Trapping him in 1903 wasn't enough of a payback in her eyes. He continued to torment her from the grave. He haunted her dreams and consumed her waking thoughts.

The spell Kai placed on Elena resulted in the fracturing of her relationships. Her "friends" resented her, and it showed. They remained cold toward her despite their insistence that living without Elena for 60 years would be bearable.

Damon constantly reminded her what she owed him, and used her when necessary to cast spells, or fight against the relentless attacks of the Heretics. Caroline regarded her with a combination of pity and bitterness as her visits to their dormitory became less and less frequent. Stefan completely ignored her existence, and Matt constantly reminded her that leaving town would be her best option.

Still, even if she had left, Bonnie had no place to go. She didn't know where her cousin Lucy was hiding. Her grandmother and father were dead. Her mother lived in Washington, D.C. as she continued to master the snatch, eat, erase, method of vampire survival. Her relationship with Jeremy had been over for some time.

She was alone.

Bonnie had nothing to keep her sane. She had no one to keep her safe. She sulked in solitude among the ruins of the Salem witch massacre. She slept, curled up, in her room at her Gram's house.

Revenge was what kept her motivated. It kept her warm when no one else would.

She had one goal: Resurrect Kai to find out how he bound the spell so she could break it, wake Elena, kill him and leave Mystic Falls forever.

She told no one else what she was planning. She secretly researched spells from the library of grimoires she had in her possession until she finally came upon one spell using light magic.

She wasn't sure if using light magic would bring back someone so evil, but she had to try. She'd lived through the consequences of dark magic and was killed by Expression while trying to resurrect Jeremy. Light magic appeared to be her best and safest option.

Bonnie closed her eyes and chanted in Latin:

"Spiritus Te. Exaudi orationem meam. Convertero cuius curatio, per iniqua, Cérei hujus ardescit. Turn infuso carnis et ossis et molliret cor lapideum."

She repeated the plea, over and over as all the white candles burned higher, illuminating the branches of the trees above.

The black candle, however, melted into forest floor. The ground began to shake; a slow rumble that built up as the seconds ticked by.

Bonnie rose from her place inside the circle, but soon found herself trapped within its magical boundary. She couldn't move beyond it as the grown shuttered beneath her feet. She began to question everything in that moment: her spell, the tone of voice, her heart. Had she said the right words? Had she sounded angry rather than grateful? Had she asked them with the right intentions?

The ground stopped its violent movement and settled beneath her quivering feet. She breathed in deep and waited. Nothing. The wind didn't rustle the leaves. The candles had settled back into their normal glow. Only the golden ring that surrounded Kai's candle remained atop a clump of disturbed dirt.

Bonnie waited for a hand to spring up from beneath the ground like she was in the midst of some horror movie. It didn't happen. No burst of flame broke through the darkness. Nothing. She had failed. The spirits had cut her off for she had forsaken them again in some unknown way. She leaned over and picked up the ring of gold lying on the ground. She then gathered the rest of her things and headed home to her grandmother's cottage.

As she found her way out of town, she noticed an odd glow coming from the worn down mansion on the site of the witch massacre. Common sense told her to keep driving since she often found homeless men seeking shelter there from the cold. She didn't want to disturb them. She felt protective of those less fortunate than herself.

A mile further down the road, she heard her name being called in the distance. She slammed on the brakes so hard that her seatbelt drew the breath from her chest. It was a woman's voice: Emily Bennett, her ancestor. She turned the car around. She knew better than to ignore a witch from her own bloodline.

Bonnie made her way back to the mansion, stepping cautiously inside as if Emily were waiting on the ragged couch inside. She noticed the glow again. A golden light flickered main room off of the foyer. The fireplace roared to life with fresh wood burning brilliantly inside it.

"Bonnie," a soft female voice said behind her.

Bonnie turned to see Emily, dressed in a lace hoop skirt and a bonnet. She appeared to Bonnie as flesh and bone, not the faint apparition she expected.

She swallowed hard and spoke to this powerful spirit that had never been bound by The Other Side or any other supernatural entity.

"Yes," Bonnie's voice squeaked. She was ashamed of how weak she sounded. How could she possibly call herself a worthy Bennett witch when she flinched at the sight of her own family?

"Bonnie, I've come to give you a final warning before the ancestors grant what you ask," Emily stated, her voice echoing off the tattered walls.

"What is it," Bonnie answered, "I understand about consequences."

"Not like this one," Emily stated, "This one is going to test you differently than the others. You will not be tested with pain or grief. We know you can handle those. You will be tested by something much more powerful. You must accept it. You must accept you."

Bonnie swallowed hard and considered those words. There was always a double meaning behind everything a witch said, yet making a deal with your family couldn't be nearly as deadly as making one with the devil.

"I accept," Bonnie added, not fully believing her own words, but knowing there was little choice but to utter them.

Emily smiled at Bonnie with pride, and nodded slowly. She raised her hands, and the windows and doors of the mansion flew open, putting out the flames in the fireplace. Bonnie backed herself into a corner of the room and waited. She willed her eyes to shut, but they wouldn't. Fear had taken hold.

Figures began to appear around the room: the spirits of all the Bennett witches from the 1800s until the present. Their faces smiled at as if they'd all found peace through her simple act of acceptance.

The final spirit to arrive was Bonnie's grandmother, Sheila Bennett. She spoke to Bonnie in the most comforting tone the young woman had ever heard.

"Hello, baby," she said.

Bonnie's eyes began to well with tears, but she held them back. Standing the presence of such power forced her to see she her duty was to embody their legacy with strength and not sorrow.

"Hi grams," Bonnie said weakly, her voice betraying her.

Sheila walked to her granddaughter and wiped a wayward tear from her eye.

"This is what I was talking about sweetheart when The Other Side was ripped away," Grams said.

"I don't understand," said Bonnie.

Sheila stepped closer; so close Bonnie could feel her breath.

"When I told you about finding peace, I didn't just mean for me. I meant for all of us," she added.

Bonnie stood in silence and waited. Sheila continued.

"I sent you to that Prison World because you are one of the last living Bennett witches. When Damon turned Abigail, he broke Bennett the line. We couldn't let you die because you need to restore it," she added.

"I don't understand. How am I supposed to…" Bonnie stopped and looked down at her abdomen, then back up at Sheila. A frown settled in on her brow and stayed there.

"Damon wasn't supposed to go there with you honey. He threw off the balance. You were supposed sent there so you could -," Sheila cut off her own words. She scanned the room, seeking consensus from the rest of the coven.

"You were supposed to meet Kai there, help him escape," Sheila added, watching the horror cross Bonnies face.

"How would helping a psychopath escape his own prison help me continue the Bennett line?" Bonnie demanded, her voice finally gaining the strength it needed.

"Honey, Kai isn't evil. Well – he wasn't supposed to be. The Gemini made him that way. They never wanted him to be a leader because they knew he was too strong, so they cast a spell on him to remove his magic, then treated him like an abomination - so that's what he became. Cold. Dark. Evil. We convinced the Gemini not to kill him and offered to help create a prison world for him instead. They didn't know we had the key," she said.

"Bennett blood?" Bonnie asked, hoping her simple answer was right.

"More than that honey. You," Sheila answered.

Emily walked up to them and spoke.

"Sheila, we don't have much time. If you can't tell her, let me," Emily said softly.

"I'll do it," Sheila went on, turning to her granddaughter, "There is only one way to carry on the Bennett line: we have to combine our bloodline with the Gemini. I sent you there to do just that."

Bonnie's heart stopped. She was supposed to, she gulped at the thought, marry Kai and have children. How could her own family condemn her to such a fate?

She shuddered at the thought of it. Anger boiled within her. How could they do this to her? How could this ever be her version of peace?

"Why him, Grams," she pleaded.

"Because it will take the power of the Bennetts and the Gemini to defeat the Heretics and all your enemies to come," Sheila stated.

"Grams, I don't have that kind of power," Bonnie said helplessly.

Shelia and Emily looked at one another and said in unison, "You will."

One by one, Bonnie's ancestors passed through her. Each one introduced herself. Each one gave her their power. With each ancestor came their magic, their strength, their personality, and their will.

Bonnie's veins hummed. Her skin came alive. As she greeted each one, she also bid them a tearful goodbye while thanking them for their gift.

The last to merge with her would be Emily and Sheila. Emily went first.

"Bonnie, you should know that harnessing my power will give you strength, but it will also give you a flood of emotion. Controlling that kind of passion can consume you if you're not careful. You have to live. Do you understand?" she asked.

"I do," Bonnie nodded, accepting Emily's spirit within her.

She burst into tears just before Grams took her turn. She couldn't control it. She buckled at the waist, but Sheila Bennett held the child she'd raised firmly.

"You know baby, I always knew you were special. I always know you were going to hold inside of you the best of us. Make sure you don't forget what we're giving you – you hear," Sheila said.

"Grams, I don't want to say goodbye to you not again," Bonnies voice was faltering again.

"Baby, this is NOT goodbye this time. This is 'I'm gonna see you again when it's the right time, okay,' " Grams smiled, holding onto Bonnie's arms, "I love you baby girl. You know that. I'm a part of you; So, so I'm not gone."

Bonnie held on tightly, praying she didn't have to let go of the only person that loved her for who she was.

"After I pass through you, Bonnie, you have to throw that gold ring into the fireplace, okay?"

Bonnie nodded, her neck struggling to keep her head held high like her Grams had taught her. Tears burned her face as Grams passed through her. She shook from the heartbreak, but still felt the power of all of the Bennett women. It rushed through her like an unyielding tide as she fought to stay upright.

Bonnie did as instructed. She used the power coursing through her veins and ignited the fireplace with her mind. She then tossed the gold ring from the candle into the burning embers.

The room began to glow – a fierce white light that lit the room brighter than daylight. She shielded her eyes just before the fireplace exploded, sending her back at least 10 feet and into the far wall. Bonnie somehow managed to land on her feet with a grace she'd never possessed before.

As the glow dissipated, her eyes came into focus. She walked toward the remnants of the fireplace. The power inside her hummed, energizing her blood. She wasn't afraid of what she'd find in the rubble.

Her heart beat in her ears so loudly she was certain if a train passed by, she wouldn't have heard it.

The crossed the room and heard moaning – an anguished sound that evoked an unexpected pity from her breast.

There in the heap was the owner of the sound. Covered in grayish black soot and earth laid the naked, shivering monster that was destined to be – her husband.

"Bonnie?" he said, his voice barely audible above her own heartbeat. He sat up, as if to get to get a better look at her.

Scanning her from head to toe, his expression relaxed.

She'd spent so long hating him that she'd forgotten how handsome he was. Covered in ash, his gaze still stirred something inside her. She was no longer allowed to fight it. Her life now depended on it.

"Welcome back Kai," she said with a surprising amount of emotion.

He scanned the room until his eyes locked on a worn out sofa that managed to survive the explosion.

Kai stood without shame, drawing in a deep breath and coughing out dust. He breathed in again to clear his newly resurrected lungs. Bonnie watched as his bare chest rose and fell. The movement hypnotized her. She shook her head to gather her thoughts. She needed to regain composure and not be distracted by his dirty, yet perfectly sculpted form as he crossed the room and sat himself on the sofa.

"I was going to ask if I was in Heaven or Hell, but judging by the look of this house, I assuming Hell," he said, his smirk slowly rising from his lips as if he were trying to get Bonnie's permission to use it.

"You're back," she told him, trying not to look into his eyes.

"Why did you bring me back?" he asked. Bonnie thought she detected some level of fear in his voice, but she quickly pushed the thought away.

"I planned on killing you," she said.

He rose, noting the slight flush in her cheeks as he approached.

"And…now?"

Bonnie swallowed hard, missing the humming sensation of all that power she'd felt just moments ago. It remained inside her, but it was controlled – almost dormant. Without thinking, she reached out and touched Kai's shoulder.

The power inside flared up within her again. She understood his purpose now. Neither of them could survive with all that power locked inside their fragile human bodies. They needed to share it, to embrace it. They needed to feed on it. They needed to feed off each other.

She finally answered his question when she accepted the answer herself.

"…Now," she said, trailing her fingers along his chest, "Now, I think need you."

Kai sighed, the smile spreading across his lips, finally touched his eyes now that he had Bonnie's permission and invitation. He covered her hand with his and looked into her eyes.

"Well, I suppose that settle's it," he said, "It's Heaven."


	2. Chapter 2

Resurrection: Chapter Two

By V.C. Turner

Bonnie forced herself to keep her eyes on the road, but the naked man sitting next to her proved to be more of a distraction than she'd anticipated. He barely spoke. He didn't need to. The rhythmic sound of his breathing just a few feet away was enough to make her clutch the steering wheel and pray she made it back into town without wrecking her car.

Her revenge plan was shot to Hell thanks to a Bennett witch destiny that she neither asked for nor wanted. Killing him was no longer an option. There would be no epic battle in which she was allowed to save the day. There would be no torture to discover the truth of Kai's sleeping spell. There was simply a sexy, evil man sitting in the car next to her - clad only in a ragged blanket taken from the witch mansion.

Thoughts flooded her conscious mind as she made her way out of the woods and onto the streets of civilization. She should have left him behind, but there was no running water in the house. The structure was a shell for the most part. Bonnie chuckled at the realization that she felt like a shell too: existing, but not existing among the residents of Mystic Falls. She smiled. She nodded. She said 'hi' to the people around her, but the truth hit her with brute force: she was a stranger in her own hometown.

"Penny for your thoughts," he asked.

Kai's voice startled her. It took a few seconds for her to fully appreciate that she wasn't alone any longer.

She finally answered him, trying hard to prevent venom from lacing her voice as it usually did when they spoke to one another.

"You don't have a penny," she said, shooting him a brief sideways glance.

"Didn't stop you from looking over here to check though, did it?" Kai chided.

Bonnie forced back a smile. He somehow found a way to flirt with her, regardless of the situation. She still had no intention of letting her guard down around him.

"Would you give it a rest, please? I'm trying to figure something out," she added.

"Like how you're going to explain resurrecting and housing 'The Evil One?" he noted.

"Pretty much," Bonnie said flatly.

She pulled into the alley behind her grandmother's house and ushered Kai inside. As he passed in front of her, she noted his scent. Although he was covered in soot and cinder, there was a distinct masculine smell to him so intoxicating that it forced her to inhale.

Bonnie immediately chastised herself for the brief enjoyment she felt at breathing him in. She hurried him to the upstairs bathroom; then prepared a towel, washcloth, and shampoo so he could clean himself up.

She made her way downstairs, searching for something to eat while she waited for him to finish. There was very little food in the house, but she managed to make some angel hair pasta and turkey sandwiches for dinner.

The sound of running water in the upstairs bathroom soothed her. It meant she had company. She tried not to consider the gravity of bringing him back.

Bonnie bit her bottom lip and continued to work. After nearly an hour, the water was still running. A strange sensation crept over her bones. What was taking him so long? Was he okay? Oh, God: She was actually worried about his welfare.

She shook her head and waited a little longer for the shower to stop. It didn't. She headed upstairs to check on his progress. Slowly opening the door, a rush of steam hit her in the face, so she closed her eyes and waited for it to clear. When she opened them, bare skin blocked her vision.

Kai stood there with water still dripping from his hair. He toweled off in front of her as if he'd been doing it for years.

It was official: He had no shame.

Bonnie stood in silence, trying to form a coherent sentence in her mind, but it wasn't working. He was flawless and she hated him for it. She tried not to look below his magnificent chest, but curiosity got the best of her.

The quick glance at his manhood was enough to turn her lovely brown face a pretty shade of fuchsia.

"I – uh. I was worried," she stammered, "Um. Dinner's ready."

"So is dessert," Kai said, without missing a beat. His cocky attitude was evident, and he appeared to enjoy seeing the levelheaded Bonnie in complete disarray.

He towel dried his hair and leaned into her. The heat of his damp body irradiated her skin as he moved in closer to whisper in her ear. His lips caressed her earlobe when he spoke.

"You should feed me soon," he warned, as he grazed his teeth against her neck while kissing it, "Otherwise I'm going to have to find something else tasty to eat."

Bonnie shivered at his light touch. She immediately backed away from him, hoping he couldn't hear her heartbeat pick up speed. The urge to slap him was overwhelming. She had every intention of doing it, but her body betrayed her as it always did when Kai was around.

"Come downstairs when you're ready," she managed to croak out, then turned away from him to head downstairs.

Kai called after her.

"Well, if you don't find me some clothes, I'm going to have to eat naked," he said, "Unless that's what you want."

Bonnie hadn't considered his need for clothes. She never thought he'd be around long enough for it to matter. Searching for ideas, she decided to loan him some clothes she'd purchased for her father that he never had the chance to wear.

Kai huffed at the idea of wearing anything around her, but finally gave in and put on the pants and shirt, which were both entirely too large for him. Bonnie chuckled at his appearance.

"Wow, just, wow," she laughed, heading downstairs as he followed.

"What, this isn't sexy?" he asked, spinning around.

"Not really. No," she said.

"You barely even looked," he pointed out.

Bonnie ignored him and arranged the plates on the table. She felt an odd sensation creep over her – she was getting all domestic with Kai.

It was surreal. She didn't like it.

"Just sit down, shut up, and eat your food," she barked at him, pushing away the slightly warm and fuzzy feelings she was beginning to have for him.

No matter what her ancestors told her, it couldn't be true that she was supposed to bond with this person. He was conceited and self-righteous. He was arrogant and evil. He was nothing she needed; yet a part of her still wanted something from him.

It must be the loneliness, Bonnie thought. She continued to tell herself that she was merely desperate for company and he provided that, at least for a while.

Kai gnawed at his food like the caged animal he'd been for the better part of his adulthood. He left bits and pieces of food all over the tablecloth. Bonnie looked at him with a combination of disgust and amusement. It was a depressing truth. He had been caged, freed, caged again, freed, and then murdered. His devouring of food as if there was no tomorrow shouldn't have been a surprise to her.

The clock had struck 2 a.m. before Bonnie realized just how tired she was. The day had taken its toll on her, so she prepared herself for bed. She turned down the lights and headed upstairs, passing the spare bedroom on the way to another restless sleep.

She noticed Kai's light was on and, despite her better judgment, she decided to check on him. Bracing herself for an onslaught of flirtations, she was shocked to see him simply pacing back and forth in a pair of baggy sweatpants.

"I know I'm going to regret asking you this, but what's wrong?" she asked, pretending not to care.

Kai looked her up and down with an expression that she had never seen on his face: fear. Well, it looked like fear. It could have been anything, but to the casual observer that didn't know him, she guessed they would see fear.

He continued to pace back and forth, without answering her.

"Come on, tell me," she continued.

"I'm waiting," he finally said.

"For what?"

"You wouldn't get it and I doubt you'd care," he said, turning away from her.

Bonnie entered the room cautiously, but continued to press him for answers.

"I think I'm smart enough to handle it," she told him.

He crossed the room to stand in front of her. If his intention was to be menacing, it wasn't working. Bonnie stood her ground, suddenly feeling Emily's presence within her.

"Bonnie, this isn't about being smart!" he yelled, breathing hard.

"Then what is it about, Kai?" Bonnie said as her tone softened.

He paused for a moment, appearing conflicted as to whether or not he should tell her.

"I don't know where I was. I don't know what I was before ending up in that old house with you … I just know I don't want to go back," he said.

"I'm not going to kill you, Kai," she told him. She didn't know if she believed her own words, but for some reason, she wanted him to believe it.

He shrugged his shoulders.

"That was your plan though: raise me from the dead, torture me, then kill me?" he said.

Bonnie swallowed hard, feeling guilty for considering murder as a means to an end. That wasn't who she was or who she wanted to be.

"It was," she admitted, "But I changed my mind."

His breathing slowed.

"I'm not afraid of you. You couldn't kill me before. I doubt you'd try now. I just don't want to go back," he said.

"I understand," she said, trying to soothe him. The sooner he felt better, the sooner she could go to bed without those pesky pangs of guilt that seemed crop up repeatedly.

"Like hell you do," he fired back, "You don't know anything."

"Kai, I was alone on The Other Side, for months! Months! I watched my father get murdered in front of me and there was NOTHING I could do about it. I watched my friends laugh and be happy, move on with their lives, and I couldn't even touch them -," she cut herself off and walked away, turning around to prevent him from seeing her tears.

"Bonnie…" he paused briefly, "Bonnie, you're right, okay? The Other Side _was_ shitty. But at least you could see…something or someone. I had darkness. I had pain, this unbelievable, unforgiving pain. So much, I just screamed; couldn't stop. It wouldn't go away. I could never get used to it. Sometimes I thought there was someone there with me, so I'd chase after the other screams I heard. But there was nothing. Just nothing."

Silence fell on the room again. Bonnie's breath caught in her chest. She had an urge to hug him, but fought it.

He walked to her and grabbed her by the arms. He immediately let her go as if he regretted the force he used.

"I know why you brought me back, Bonnie, but I can't help you," he told her.

"Why not?" she demanded.

Kai shook his head.

"I can't tell you that," he responded.

"I can figure out a way to make you talk, one way or another," Bonnie threatened.

"So this is how it's going to go, huh? I flirt with you. You threaten me. I get mean. You get defensive. I back off, you get judgmental – fuck, we might as well be married," he chuckled, but there was no humor in his voice.

Bonnie changed her tone, she backed out of the room to stand in the doorway, hoping leaning on the frame would help her steady her mind as well as her body.

"Just, get some rest," she said, "I will check on you in the morning.

"You do need to know something though," he started.

"What's that?"

"I won't go back there," he added, "I will kill whoever tries to send me. Do you understand?"

Bonnie nodded. She started to walk away, but stopped and turned back to him.

"Even me?" she asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

Kai drew in a deep breath and thought about it for a moment.

"I'm not here to kill you Bonnie," he said weakly.

Too frightened to ask him any more questions, Bonnie finished her retreat.

Bonnie thought that having someone else in the house with her would stop her daily nightmares, but it didn't. The images that burned in her head were of witnessing her father's death. She watched as her dad ascended the stage in the town square and began to speak. Then a man who looked like Stefan appeared from out of nowhere. He stood next to Rudy, taking the microphone from him.

Bonnie shook in horror as she watched this memory play out again. The crowd was again compelled into submission. They could not move. They could not stop him. They could not help her. She ran helplessly toward her father in slow motion. She knew what would come next. Silas would slice her father's throat right in front of her.

Bonnie's screams were silent. Tears burned her eyes and cheeks, and she fell to the ground. She couldn't look away.

But the scene changed. Silas was thrown across the stage. Bonnie couldn't understand how it was possible since she had no powers as a ghost. She looked up and saw Kai standing on the stage several feet from her father.

No one in the crowd appeared to notice her, but Kai did. He reached down and led her up on stage.

"Go on," he said, pushing her toward Rudy, "Say goodbye to your dad the right way."

Bonnie shook her head.

"No, no. This isn't how it happened," she told him.

"You told me," Kai said, "But you deserve the goodbye you never got."

Bonnie began to weep. Over the years, she and her father had finally come to terms with one another. He'd finally accepted her existence as a witch and was proud of her accomplishments. She'd accepted that he loved her and wanted to keep her safe, no matter how much power she possessed.

She flew into her father's arms and told her dad that she was going to be okay.

"That's all any father wants to know, Bonnie," Rudy said, "I love you sweetheart."

Rudy walked off the stage and into an oval of light. Bonnie then turned to Kai in her dream.

"Thank you," she told him.

Bonnie's eyes flickered open. Kai was lying in bed with her. Instead of anger at his presence, she felt grateful at what he'd done for her in her dream.

"Thank you," she repeated – this time in the conscious world.

"Well, I owed you…resurrection spell and all," Kai said, smiling cautiously at her.

He sat up slowly and, as he did, and painful loneliness set in on Bonnie.

"You – you don't have to leave," she said. Her own words surprised her.

Kai frowned, his look of disbelief so amusing to Bonnie that she began to laugh despite the tears she had just shed for her dad.

"Is this a trick?" he asked.

"No," she answered, patting the covers and inviting him to sit down.

He wasn't as terrifying as he had been before, but she was still skeptical about him staying in the room with her. His presence did, however, have advantages. If he could enter her dreams, perhaps he could stop the nightmares.

Kai began to check under the covers and pillows.

"What is your problem," she asked.

He held up his hands.

"Just checking for any weaponry you might use against me," he said with a smile that made her heart drop.

"How do you do that – the dream jumping thing," Bonnie inquired.

"If you promise not to kill me, I'll teach you," he said looking down at the bed, "Over the covers or under?"

"Over!" she said.

Kai obeyed, sliding onto the bed next to her. They were more than a foot apart but she could still feel the warmth of his body. It was comforting and unsettling at the same time.

Bonnie wanted to be held, to feel like she mattered to someone, but having Kai be the person to do it unnerved her. She missed being touched, being held, being kissed, being loved. She didn't expect him to feel anything for her, but the least he could do was help fill the void.

The moon cast a faint blue glow into the room.

"I'm not going to hurt you if that's what you're worried about" Kai whispered, looking into her eyes.

His gaze startled her: not because he was threatening, but because he was genuinely being kind. She didn't know how to respond to that.

She scanned his form in the moonlight. Her eyes surveyed him from his disheveled black hair to his full lips, to his strong arms.

Bonnie needed to be held, even if she had to snuggle next to a monster to feel safe. She needed it so badly her skin ached.

She looked back at him feeling the need to say something, but unable to find the best words to describe it. She opened her mouth, but closed it immediately.

"Come here," he said, reaching out an arm.

Kai waited for her to scoot next to him and after a few awkward moments, she did. He tentatively wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into his chest.

Bonnie felt his heartbeat go up, and then slow to a more even pace. She knew hers was doing the same.

"Thank you," she said.

"Don't mention it," he said back.

Without thinking, she wrapped her arm around his chest. Kai hesitated for a moment, looking down at her with skepticism, then placed an arm around her waist.

His look of curiosity made her laugh out loud in spite of herself.

"What?" she asked.

"What – What is this by the way?"

"What's what?"

"This, lying in bed wrapped around one another – thing. Don't get me wrong; I actually think I like it. I'm just wondering what it's called."

Bonnie almost choked on her words before she spoke them.

"Normal people call it cuddling," she answered.

"And this is all you do…just lie here?" Kai continued his inquiry.

"Well, yeah –" she said, trying to hide her enjoyment at his fascination with something that appeared to be so basic: human contact.

"I'm feeling warm and kind of – I don't know – tingly. Is that normal?" he asked.

"Probably not for you, no," she answered. She buried her face in his shoulder so he couldn't see her expression. She was letting down her guard and it terrified her.

He drew in a deep breath and squeezed her.

"But you like it, right? You miss it?"

"Yeah, I do," she admitted.

A brief silence fell between them before he spoke again.

"Well, hurry up and go to sleep before I say something nice," he looked down at her and smiled – a wicked, knowing grin that she hated up until that moment.

"Oh. Go ahead and say something nice," Bonnie prodded, "It might scare me enough to kill me."

"Fine," he looked down at her, stroking her cheek, " You are a beautiful woman, Bonnie Bennett," he said quietly, "Now go to sleep before I start sounding like a jackass again."

She simply nodded. She had no words. Her heart felt like it stopped, but she didn't die.

Instead, Bonnie fell asleep in his arms.

She awoke a few hours later to a warm aching feeling she'd never had before. The foreign sensation was both intense and intoxicating – she was drunk off of it.

She tossed. She turned. Nothing would quiet the sensation, and it was growing. Her eyes opened to see Kai sleeping next to her. She had rolled away from him in her sleep.

Bonnie returned to lying on his shoulder, but the feelings she had grew more intense. She needed something from him and it terrified her to think that he could be the only one to fix it.

He looked so normal there next to her in the dark. So harmless. Her breathing picked up and something inside of her begged her touch him – so she did. She let her fingers graze across the exposed skin of his stomach where his t-shirt was riding up.

More – her body cried out, but it was wrong. She didn't like him. She wanted him dead several hours ago. Yet one touch wasn't going to be enough.

Bonnie feared she was being manipulated somehow. The sudden urge to seduce Kai or be seduced by him should have repulsed her.

But the panting she was doing wouldn't stop. She shook his shoulder to wake him, desperate for his help. She didn't know if she was more frightened that he would take advantage of it, or if he would reject her for sport.

"Kai," she said as she shook him.

He groaned a little then answered.

"What, What!" he said, not really opening his eyes.

"Please, wake up!" she begged. The sensation was unbearable.

He finally turned to her and appeared shocked at what he saw.

"What's wrong? Are you sick or something?" he asked, brushing the hair from her face and looking at the beads of sweat along her forehead.

Bonnie suddenly lost her words. His genuine sincerity for her well being, coupled with his unnecessarily handsome face, added to her own uncontrollable desire – it was just too much for her to handle.

"Would it completely freak you out if I told you I needed you to kiss me," she asked him, hoping her seriousness would prevent him from turning the situation into a joke.

"Are you kidding?" Kai responded.

"No, I mean it," she told him.

"Yeah it does freak me out," he said, "But that's not gonna stop me."

Kai grabbed her face and kissed her mouth with passionate uncertainty. He held onto the base of her neck, while pulling her against his chest with his free hand. He caressed her back and left a trail of scorching kisses down her jaw to her collarbone.

Bonnie's need only increased by his surprisingly respectful treatment of her body.

"Why are you being so gentle?" she asked, panting with the intensity of a command.

"What," he said breathlessly, caught up in the euphoria. He continued to plant torturous kisses on every inch of her exposed skin.

"Kai, you can't hold back," she pleaded, "There's something wrong with me."

"Nothing's wrong with you," he said into her neck as he ran his hands down her arms.

It took all her strength to pull him away from her screaming body, but she did because she needed to look him in the eye before she said it.

"Please," begged Bonnie.

"Bon, I'm a hybrid vampire witch that hasn't done this in 20 years. Everything in me is stronger now. My muscles. My power. I mean it," he warned, "I might actually kill you."

She yanked at his shirt until it fell from his shoulders, exposing the perfectly sinful body she was craving with a fierceness she'd never felt before.

"As if I'm afraid to die," snapped back.

She grabbed him by the waist and kissed him hard, as if each caress of her lips relieved some of the intense sexual pressure she was feeling. He tore the pajama shirt from her body as she ripped his sweatpants to shreds.

Bonnie needed him. It wasn't just desire. It sure as hell wasn't love. It was something that felt supernatural.

He stroked every inch of her body until she was on fire. He wasn't siphoning magic from her. It felt as if he was, in some way, giving her some of his power.

Uncertainty still remained on his handsome face as he hovered over her for what felt like eternity. His eyes devoured her body as if he were trying to map out the best way to tease her, please her, drive her insane, and then give them both what they wanted.

His gaze did things to her insides that made her writhe violently on the bed. Kai dipped his head down, and began kissing up her left thigh and down her right. He looked up into her eyes, and vampire veins began to show. Bonnie's breathing ceased and he stopped moving.

Kai swallowed and looked away.

"It's okay," she reassured him.

He nodded in acknowledgement, and continued kissing up her body until he reached her breasts. He gave careful attention to every inch of them: nibbling, kissing and licking until Bonnie thought she'd pass out.

Kai reached her chin, and then kissed up to her earlobe.

"Still sure?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered.

Kai slipped inside her quivering folds as she dug her fingernails into his shoulder blades. His movement was deliberately slow – to the point of pleasurable agony. Perhaps he was being cautious. Perhaps he was trying to tease her. Regardless of his intentions, wanted him to pick up the pace, but he didn't oblige her. He kept his steady rhythm as he kissed her lips so softly her eyes rolled back into her head.

Bonnie wanted to scream, but there wasn't enough air left in her lungs. She moaned. She sighed. She whispered his name when he freed her mouth long enough to speak it.

The desire coiled within her so tightly she thought she'd explode and catch the house on fire.

"Kai, please," she begged him again.

He sped up only slightly as he pulled away from kissing her to look in her eyes. She noticed that his eyes had darkened and his fangs were beginning to show.

"Bonnie, I need to…" he started.

"It's okay. Do it," she assured him.

Kai nodded, then pressed his mouth to her neck, biting down hard enough to break the skin, but gently enough not to cause damage to her flesh. He moaned loudly in her ear as Bonnie screamed through both her release as well as his.

He freed her neck, but continued to pant into her shoulder.

Bonnie didn't realize that she was gripping him so tightly that she'd drawn blood.

He finally pulled away from her as sunlight broke through the windows, casting bright yellow light throughout the room.

Kai looked at her wounded neck rubbing the small puncture wounds he'd made.

"I'm – I'm sorry about that. Do you want me to fix it," he started to bite down on his wrist, but she stopped him.

"No, I'm okay," she said as she rolled over to face him, "I just don't know what this means."

Kai shot her a wicked grin as he stroked her back lightly.

"Oh yes you do," Kai said.

"Well, I suppose that settle's it," she said, winking at him, "It's Heaven."


	3. Chapter 3

**Resurrection: Part Three**

By V. C. Turner

Bonnie awoke feeling refreshed for the first time in months. The sun cascaded in her room, bathing it in light. A gentle breeze caressed the curtains flying in and out of her windows. For a moment, she felt happy.

Then the reality paid her a frightening visit. She turned over in the bed to notice Kai had gone.

She'd resurrected the monster, slept with him, and then allowed him to leave her home unsupervised. The havoc he could wreak upon the town – she didn't want to think about it.

She launched her naked body out of bed, throwing on short robe she'd grabbed her from her dresser and then ran downstairs.

Panic set in quickly. Since she never disclosed her original plan for Kai, so no one would be prepared if he showed up seeking revenge.

She hit the bottom of the stairs with a loud thud only to see him standing in the kitchen casually unpacking bags of groceries and clothes.

Dressed in a light blue t-shirt and black jeans, the gorgeous killer looked quite comfortable in her house.

Relieved, she took in a deep breath and calmly walked toward him.

"Where did you get all this?" she asked.

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"It depends: Did anybody die during your little shopping spree?"

Kai paused for a moment, as if he were considering her question.

"You have to _think_ about it!" she said.

Kai laughed in response as he continued to stock her shelves and the fridge.

"You know, the first thing we need to do is get you a sense of humor. You are way too tense for someone who got lucky last night … and this morning," he smirked.

Bonnie shook her head, and then pulled out a kitchen chair to sit down.

"Kai, listen –"

"Stop! Don't you dare feel guilty about it."

"I don't!"

"Yes you do," he retorted, "You've got that 'I had sex with a bad guy so that makes me bad too' look on your face. Stop it!"

She started to speak, then considered his words. He wasn't being mean. He was simply being honest.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize either," he added, "You don't have a anything to be sorry about. In fact, you have a few things to be proud of – I mean, who would have thought between the two of us, you'd be the biter?"

Bonnie blushed as she headed to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. In an instant, she felt Kai standing behind her. The heat returned, just as intense as it had been the night before. Her heart raced. Her breath quickened. She had no control over what he was doing to her, nor did she truly want control.

Every nerve on her skin came alive as he placed his hands on her hips. She felt his warmth through the thin fabric of her robe. Her rational mind should have taken hold, but she'd packed it away more than 12 hours ago when she first felt his mouth on hers.

Bonnie wondered how could she feel this way about someone who had been so horrible to her? He'd shot her with a crossbow. He chased her. He choked her. He'd stabbed her. He abandoned her in the prison world that drove her to the point of attempting suicide.

He was evil. There was no question about that.

She had no reason to trust him, yet she allowed him to touch her in the most intimate ways.

She asked herself if Kai had placed a spell on her. There had to be some mystical force behind her attraction to him because her brain hated exactly what her body needed.

As far as her heart … to hell with her heart. It wasn't important and having one had never served her in the past. She had sacrificed and died for those she loved and called friend, and still she remained alone. She had no family. She had nothing other than the cold reality of finally being given the gift of life - only to have few reasons to live.

She played the role of reliable Bonnie for far too long without doing anything for herself. She'd lost so much – too much. She deserved something for herself; even if that something was with Kai.

"Hungry," he said as he slipped his hands beneath her robe, touching her bare skin.

"Not – not really," she whimpered, leaning back into him.

 _If this is wrong, fuck wrong_ , Bonnie thought. She deserved wrong! Being good all her life gotten her nowhere.

She turned around and looked for something in his eyes. She didn't have to seek out his desire: it was there, yet something else dwelled behind that she could not recognize. It was warmer and gentler than desire, but she pushed those thoughts away. She wasn't ready for him to mean anything more than being her own sexual carnival ride.

"Are you going to stare at me, or are you gonna kiss me?" she asked him, in a sultry tone.

His eyebrows lifted in surprised at her boldness. He then untied her robe, opening it up and drinking in her naked flesh. A satisfied smile broke across his face before he spoke.

"Well, I do like staring at you," Kai told her, scanning her curves with fond appreciation.

He then leaned in and kissed her softly as he took the pads of his thumbs and rubbed them gently against her exposed nipples.

Bonnie moaned into Kai's mouth as she pulled his shirt out of his jeans and yanked him closer.

"This isn't fair," she told him, tugging at his shirt.

Kai smiled, then yanked it over his head before kissing her again. His hands caressed her breasts, her back, her stomach. He appeared to be aching for her as much as she had been for him.

She unbuttoned his pants and they fell to the kitchen floor, where he kicked them off along with his boxer briefs.

Desperate moans escaped Bonnie's mouth and echoed against the kitchen walls as Kai kissed her neck and dug his fingers into her hips so he could lift her onto the counter. She needed him right then and there. Her heart thudded in her ears so loudly that she couldn't hear how much noise she made, yet she didn't care at that point if the neighbors were getting an earful.

A sudden knock on the front door interrupted them. Kai swore, but didn't move. Bonnie hoped the intruder would go away when she didn't answer, but she wasn't that lucky.

"Bonnie?!" Caroline called in her usual sweet, sing-song voice, "Are you in there?"

"I really, truly, hate her," Kai said, panting into Bonnie's ear.

"Right now, so do I," she told him.

Caroline knocked again as Bonnie retied her robe and headed to the door.

She ripped it open and glared at her childhood friend.

"What!" Bonnie said through gritted teeth.

"I was - worried," Caroline stated as she looked Bonnie up and down.

"Well, I'm fine and I'm – busy," Bonnie added, looking behind her as Kai made his way to the living room sofa without Caroline's detection.

"Busy with what?" asked Caroline.

Bonnie's rage was palpable. How dare Caroline assume that she had nothing to do on a Saturday?

"Busy with a whole lot of 'none of your damn business'," Bonnie retorted.

"Bonnie, what's gotten into you?" Caroline asked.

"Unfortunately nothing because you're still standing on my porch," Bonnie snapped back, "I have company."

"Oh. Ok, relax. Sorry!" Caroline stated, trying to peer behind Bonnie's shoulder.

"Stop looking!" Bonnie demanded.

"Tell me who he is," Caroline pleaded.

"No!"

"Oh, come on Bonnie, please," she said.

"HE is none of your business," Bonnie said as she shoved her friend off the porch.

"Ok, fine – go have fun with 'Random mystery guy'," she huffed, then turned around and headed for her car.

Bonnie slammed the door and growled as she turned around to see Kai watching her.

"She's still out there you know," he told her.

"What?"

"Yep. I can hear her on the phone in her car," he added, "She's talking to Damon about you suddenly becoming selfish."

"Me, selfish?"

Kai nodded.

"You know I could just –" Kai snapped his fingers.

"You're not snapping her neck Kai!" she begged him, even though she briefly considered letting him.

"You sure?" he smirked back at her.

"I'm – kind of sure," she told him.

Caroline's interruption did give Bonnie the realization that she was ignoring her hunger for actual food. She took advantage of her momentary lapse into sanity to fill her stomach.

She later headed to the shower, allowing the day to fully sink in. She still had no plans on how to move forward with her life knowing that Kai was destined to be a part of it.

Bonnie didn't intend to develop feelings for him. She wanted his body and possibly his protection. That was all.

She readied herself for bed as she usually did: brushing her hair and applying lotion. The knock on her bedroom door startled her. She didn't if she'd ever get used to someone being in the house with her.

Bonnie opened the door to find Kai standing there fully dressed with his jacket on.

"Come on," he grabbed her hand, "I want to show you something."

She barely had time to put on a pair of yoga pants before he was leading her outside into the cover of night.

As they walked down the street, a car passed by. Kai placed his arm around Bonnie's shoulder and turned away from the headlights in an attempt to keep his face hidden. For a brief moment, the sensation of walking down the street being held by someone thrilled her.

Then she remembered who it was, and her heart soon sank into her canvas shoes.

After a few minutes, they came upon a large tree sitting cattycorner to one of her neighbor's houses.

"What if someone sees you…sees us?" she asked.

He pushed her against the tree pressing his forehead against hers.

"We're just two lovers out for a midnight stroll,' he whispered, kissing the tip of her nose. She grabbed his open jacket and held it for a moment.

Bonnie parted her lips slightly and sighed.

Kai chose that moment to kiss her; holding her waist firmly as if he feared she'd run away. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. It wasn't about sex, just longing. She needed to feel like someone on earth loved her: even if it was a lie.

He reluctantly pulled back.

"It's kind of a shame: in another life, this moment would have been romantic," she told him.

His wounded expression was obvious, but he shifted gears quickly.

"Listen," he whispered in her ear.

"To what?"

"Everything," he added, "The night. What do you hear?"

"I don't have vamp hearing, Kai. I can't hear what you can," she told him.

"Listen anyway, go on," he urged.

Bonnie closed her eyes and listened to her neighborhood noises. She heard the buzzing of insects, the sounds of a few cars passing on the street, and a few television sets.

"What am I listening for," she asked.

"Snoring," he answered.

She opened her eyes.

"We're dream jumping?" she asked.

Kai nodded.

"Lesson one: listen – not to the outside world," he said, turning her around to face darkened house and touching her chest lightly, "Hear the rhythm of your heartbeat – feel it. Get used to it. Memorize it."

Bonnie did as instructed. She focused on her heart. It was beating faster than normal due to his closeness, but she finally steadied it to a nice, comfortable pace.

"Now, I want you to focus on that house over here – who is it?" he asked her.

Kai pointed to a white A-frame home that sat across the street.

"Mr. and Mrs. Danbury."

"Do you know them well?"

"I guess," she answered, "They used to babysit me when I was little."

"Good, so listen," he directed.

"I can't do that," she insisted.

"Yes you can," he told her, lifting her shirt and touching her waist with his bare hands.

Bonnie channeled Kai's magic, feeling it flow through her with intense heat. She listened. In a few seconds, she had it. She actually heard her neighbors from across the street. They were sleeping. She listened to Mrs. Danbury's breathing.

She nodded.

"Match your heartbeat to hers. Match your breathing to hers," he continued, "You have to be in sync to do it."

Bonnie tried. She soon found the woman's rhythm and matched hers to it.

"Now, listen go inside her mind. See it. Picture it. What is she dreaming about?"

Bonnie saw her middle-aged neighbor asleep in her bed. Mrs. Danbury wore a set of foam curlers in her hair and was wrapped in a light blue quilt. She focused her mind – seeing past the woman's curlers, past the hair, past the skin. She opened up her mind and the vision of a young child running at her appeared.

Shocked at her success, Bonnie quickly pulled herself out of Mrs. Danbury's mind.

She shook her head.

"That was –" she started

"Freaky? Yeah. It usually is the first time you do it," he said, "Come on. That was good for your first try. Now let's head back to the house."

Bonnie walked closely next to Kai, his warmth gave her a strange comfort. His presence in her life brought a sense of peace that was ironic since he had brought her so much destruction in his previous existence.

She allowed him to get a few paces in front of her before he turned around.


	4. Chapter 4

"What's wrong? You're not going to stab me in the back again, are you?"

Slightly offended by his suggestion, she took a deep breath before answering.

"I didn't plan on it, but I could bust a blood vessel or two in your brain if you don't behave," she noted.

"Ouch," he said, walking backwards with a cockiness that was both annoying and seductive at the same time.

"Sorry, just being cautious. You understand?"

"I do," he told her.

Kai stopped suddenly and Bonnie walked into his chest.

"If you want me to, I could lie and tell you I'm not evil. That I don't think about killing. But the truth is I do. I still feel it – that urge inside of me," he confessed.

"So why don't you just give into it?" she asked, her brow furrowing, awaiting some snide answer.

"Your family didn't help me come back just so I could go back to the way I was," he said.

Bonnie looked down at her shoes, then back up into his eyes.

"Fair enough," she added, walking past him toward the house. A part of her wished his change in manner had to do with her.

He caught up with her on the porch as she placed her key in the door.

Kai reached for her hand and turned her around. Cupping her face in his hands, he spoke softly to her.

"I know deep down you hate me. I'm not asking you to stop. Just let me –" he started, but didn't finish.

The whistle of something slicing through the night air pierced her ears. His movement was faster than she'd ever seen from any other vampire. He grabbed the arrow being fired at him, and stood protectively in front of Bonnie.

Two Heretics stood on the street in front of Bonnie's house. One, a woman clad on all black, held a crossbow in her hands, her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. She smiled as if she didn't expect to hit Kai; just get his undivided attention.

The other, a man with white hair, wearing a leather trench coat, lifted his hand as the wind whipped violently in the trees along the street.

Bonnie saw Kai's eyes darken as he turned to her, his vampire veins showing. His voice entered into a low timbre.

"Get in the house, Bonnie!" he yelled, "Now!"

Bonnie shook her head.

"Let me help," she insisted.

"I mean it! Cast a spell on the house so no one can get in," he said, not wanting to take no for an answer.

"I am not leaving you out here!" she told him, shocked at her own protectiveness of a man who nearly let her die several months earlier.

Kai's scowl at her defiance was brief, but powerful.

"Fine," he conceded, turning to face their attackers, "Not to be sexist, but if you don't mind taking out the girl."

"Understood," Bonnie told him.

They stood back to back, channeling each others magic as the heretics attempted to rush the house.

The woman in black launched another arrow toward Bonnie, who reversed its course, sending it back to the heretic so it impaled her in the neck. She then used her magic to send part of a picket fence through other woman's chest.

The woman fell to the ground, then disintegrated into dust.

Kai flew at the male heretic, knocking them both down. They landed blow after blow against one another; with neither gaining the upper hand. Kai wrapped hands around the other heretic's throat, and squeezed. The heretic raised his hand, using magic to throw Kai across the yard and into a tree.

Kai landed hard, sending bark flying in all directions. Then he vanished. For a moment Bonnie thought he'd abandoned her – again.

Anger settled into her soul as the male heretic stood to face her.

"Looks like it's just you and me," the man said, "Can't wait to kill the last Bennett witch."

Feeling the power of every one of her ancestors running through her veins, Bonnie readied herself to fight.

At that moment, Kai reappeared behind the heretic.

"Not my Bennett witch!" Kai said, ripping the head off the heretic's shoulders.

Bonnie exhaled. She tried to level the emotions she was feeling: anger, fear, pride.

"Damn, that did feel good," Kai added with a wicked grin.

The scene playing out in front of her was eerily familiar.

Several months before, Kai had taken her to the brink of death and watched as she laid gasping for air among the others he'd sent to their deaths.

How could she forgive someone like that? How had she forgotten what he'd done to her?

She turned to him, feeling the rage and guilt build within her like a storm. Kai's smile dissipated instantly once he noticed her expression. He looked down at the dead heretic, then back at Bonnie.

As if he could read her mind, he took a step toward her, then fell to his knees in agony. Bonnie used her magic to shoot pain through his body.

"Bon, what the hell are you doing?" he said, straining against the agony to get the words out.

"I have every reason to hate you Kai," she told him, walking toward him as he writhed on the ground.

"Ahh. I know," he said, looking up at her.

"So, give me a reason – damn it. One reason why I shouldn't," Bonnie yelled, releasing him from her spell.

Kai's heavy breathing slowed, and he finally stood to face her.

"You know the answer to that question, you just don't want to admit it," he said calmly.

Bonnie swallowed hard. She didn't want him to say it. It would be too strange coming from his lips. She backed away from him; not in fear, but in disbelief. There was no reason for him to care about her. There was no reason for him to want to keep her safe.

He'd done so much to call himself her enemy.

"You don't," she told him, shaking her head as the words spilling out of her.

"Look, we don't have time to fight about this," he said, wiping some dirt from her face, "They know I'm back and they know you're here. We need to go."

Bonnie nodded, then headed into the house to pack.

Bonnie tossed a suitcase and duffel bag into the back seat of her car, leaving Kai in the house to pack up some food for the trip. They were going to stop by the Witch Mansion on their way out of town, then head to her father's old apartment in the morning.

She didn't notice him walking up behind her, but she wasn't afraid. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her ear before he spoke.

"So who's the mystery guy you've been screwing around with?"

On instinct, Bonnie spun around and kneed him in the groin, sending him back three feet from where she was standing. She was able to get a good look at him before she answered.

"Damon, what the hell are you doing here?" she demanded.

"Checking in on you, that's all," he added, "You don't call. You don't visit."

"I'm sorry," she said sarcastically, "I didn't know I was obligated to check in with you."

"You're not – Just showing a little friendly concern for the woman Elena sacrificed 60 years of her life for," he retorted in his usual snide manner.

Bonnie felt nothing but rage at Damon's millionth attempt at a guilt trip. After all she had sacrificed for the good of the Salvatores and the Gilberts, he had no right to try laying yet another guilt trip on her.

"Damon, it's none of your business," she told him.

"He must be pretty important for you to just run off with the guy just when we need you the most," he snapped.

" 'We need you?' – Good God Damon, you'd think that was my last name: Bonnie 'We Need You'," she huffed, "Just when I thought I'd left my prison world."

Bonnie turned her back on him and headed to the driver's side door to toss in her purse.

Damon used vampire speed to pull her away from the car, slam the door and pin her shoulders against the vehicle. His face was so close to hers, the heat of his breath burned her face.

Bonnie noticed the desperate expression on his face. It wasn't anger. It was fear. She'd never seen Damon frightened. She'd seen just about every other emotion cross his face, but never desperation.

He loosened the grip he had on her shoulders, then looked down at her.

"Come on Bon Bon. I need you," he said.

"For what? A spell. My blood. Please tell me, since apparently I'm your full service, 24-hour, witch pharmacy," she shouted back at him.

Damon stroked her left cheek and took another step toward her.

"I don't need a spell, Bon," Damon said, "I actually miss you being around, and I want to meet the new guy taking you away."

Bonnie watched as Damon's body was ripped away from her and flew against the back porch. The back window shattered as the gutter fell on his head.

She could feel vampire level testosterone irradiating off of both of them.

Damon shook his head to clear his vision before staring up at his attacker.

Kai stood in front of him, then knelt down to eye level.

"I'm the new guy," Kai stated casually, "And you should try harder to keep your hands to yourself."

Damon's look of shock would have been humorous in any other situation, but there was nothing funny about the fact that the last time the two men faced each other, death followed.

"How the hell are you here?!" Damon choked out, "Last time I saw you, you looked like the headless horseman without the damned horse."

Bonnie knew Damon was buying time and gathering his strength before lopping Kai's head off a second time. She couldn't bear seeing that again. She couldn't handle losing either of them. For one brief, ironic moment, she felt as Elena must have when her friend was torn between Stefan and Damon.

She sprinted toward them, pulling Kai backward.

"Don't hurt him," she begged.

"I promise I won't hurt a hair on his pretty little head," Kai smirked.

"I'm serious," Bonnie insisted.

"Fine," he conceded, "I promise I won't remove his pretty little head either."

"Kai?" she glared at him.

Damon stood up and walked toward Bonnie and Kai.

Bonnie stood between them.

"Damon – No!" she warned.

"You brought him back?! Why the hell did you do that?" Damon yelled.

"The Bennett witches brought me back," Kai pointed out.

"What are you doing with Bonnie," Damon demanded.

"Wow, full of questions aren't we?" Kai joked.

Damon turned to Bonnie.

"What is wrong with you?! Why would you go anywhere with this psychopath?" he asked.

"We're leaving town before the Heretics and your mother decide to attack again," Bonnie told him.

"You want to run: Go for it. Not with him. He doesn't deserve to breathe. He sure as shit doesn't deserve you," said Damon.

"And who does? Tell me Damon: Who's still alive to give a damn about me? I guess you can't answer that question because my grams, my father, my mother, they're all gone either dead or gone because of all of you!"

Bonnie couldn't believe the words escaping her lips, but they were harsh truths that somehow found their way to the surface.

Damon launched himself at Kai, smashing him against the Bonnie's car.

"You're not taking her," Damon threatened.

"I don't think you have a say," Kai bit back.

"And I don't think you have a right to touch her," Damon answered.

Kai drew in a deep breath and Bonnie waited for the fight to start. It didn't.

"I love her Damon," Kai said, and then turned to Bonnie, "Not quite how I wanted to put it out there, but…since the cat is out of the proverbial bag."

Bonnie stood shocked into silence. Her mouth hung open and tears began to fill her eyes. She didn't expect to hear it from anyone, much less Kai. How could he feel that way after all he'd done?

Damon anger exploded. He grabbed Kai by the throat.

"Don't you ever say that about her. You don't know the meaning of the fucking word," Damon said.

"Actually I do. I looked it up. Internet. Very helpful," Kai bantered back. His mood shifted once he looked at Bonnie.

"Let him go Damon!" Bonnie shouted.

"No," Damon said.

"Now," stated Bonnie.

"Bonnie, don't leave with him," Damon begged.

"I'd rather be with someone that loves me than people who use me," she insisted, "I don't have a reason to stay."

Damon waited before responding.

"FINE! Tell this douchebag to break the spell with you and Elena," Damon screamed.

"I can't!" Kai answered.

"Like hell you can't," Damon pulled out a sharp piece of wood he was hiding, "You're gonna tell me now you little bastard, or I'll kill your ass again," said Damon.

Kai appeared indifferent to Damon's threat. He looked down at the makeshift stake, then back at Damon.

"You don't get it do you. Fine. I'll dumb it down," Kai started, "Some spells are bound by the witch that casts them; meaning if that witch dies, the spell is broken."

"So why didn't Elena wake up when I killed you?" Damon asked.

"Because the linking spell was never bound to me, Damon," Kai said casually, 'The Bennett witches made sure of that."

"Then who? Who do I have to kill to break the spell without Bonnie _or_ Elena dying?" Damon asked.

Kai answered with a single word.

"Stefan."


	5. Chapter 5

**Resurrection: Chapter Four**

By V.C. Turner

Damon threw his phone against the brick wall with enough force to shatter the expensive device into pieces slightly larger than dust. She wasn't answering him. No phone calls. No texts. Nothing. He thought after all they'd been through, she'd at least give him the courtesy of letting him know she'd arrived safely at God Knows Where with the resurrected bastard son of Satan.

To bring Kai back, of all the people she could have witchy woo wooed back into existence - it just made no damned sense. She never even told him what she was planning, but then again, he would have stopped her. He could have tied her up, locked her in the basement, or something other than just sit by and allow her to raise the dead and then just disappear.

She had no right to leave him. He had finally come to terms with waiting for Elena while Bonnie lived her life. But she owed him. He didn't just save her for Elena. He saved her for himself. She was his friend, too.

How could he protect her if she was going to be absent from his life?

Protect Bonnie. The thought made Damon chuckle a bit. Though he had promised Emily Bennett that he'd protect her descendants, Bonnie was more than a promise. Of all the people he called friend, Bonnie always accepted and acknowledged him for who he was: the bad, the good, the impulsive bastard of a vampire that cared so much it hurt everyone around him. She wasn't looking to change or save him. There was no pretending with her, which is part of the reason she frustrated him so much. He had no choice but to be honest.

Damon's anger rekindled. She'd abandoned him and worst of all, he missed her for it. He broke one of the barstools in the kitchen and threw it into the fireplace, the loud clash resonating throughout the house.

As he picked up a second stool, Stefan calmly walked into the room and Damon was quickly reminded of Kai's insistence that killing Stefan was the only way to break the spell and save both Bonnie and Elena. Killing his brother wasn't an option. He was stuck – which was a place Damon hated being.

"Well, I see you're finding new ways to redecorate," Stefan said as he picked up a shard of wood and tossed it into the flames.

"What can I do for you brother?" Damon asked.

"Well, you can start by not trashing the house, again," Stefan answered.

"I'm just letting out a little healthy rage, that's all," said Damon.

"Look Damon, I know you miss her –" Stefan began.

"It's not just that, Damn it. She didn't goodbye and I don't even know where she is."

"Of course you do. Elena's in the crypt, why would you ...," Stefan appeared to be considering his words carefully, "You mean Bonnie, don't you?"

Damon's look of guilt stunned Stefan into silence.

"Yeah," Damon said in a voice only slightly above a whisper.

"Hey, what is really going on between you two?" asked Stefan.

Damon picked up another stool to toss into the fire, but his brother snatched it from his hands.

"Nothing, okay. Nothing is going on," Damon answered.

"Well, that may be true, but you're acting like it's more than nothing. I haven't seen you like this in a while," Stefan said, "Wait a minute…Did you guys?"

"No!" Damon yelled back, offended at the implication, but intrigued by the imagery the suggestion brought to mind.

"Really? Nothing happened?" Stefan asked.

"No. No. I just – God help me – I actually like her now. She keeps me sane, or some close approximation of it," Damon answered.

"I see, so nothing more than that," Stefan countered.

Damon considered the question before answering. Bonnie was beautiful, brave, patient, honest, loyal and strong. In another life, being with her would make so much sense. She was fearless in the face of danger and his entire existence was dangerous.

Damon proceeded to pick up the rest of the shattered wood as Stefan watched his every move.

"Oh God, there _is_ more to it than that," Stefan pointed out, "So Elena tells you to go live your life – not wait for her, and you decide that life is gonna be with Bonnie?"

"That's not what this is, Stefan," Damon answered.

"Well, that's what it looks like. It also looks like you're trying to have your cake and eat it too."

"And why can't I?" the words came out of Damon's mouth without the benefit of censorship.

"Damon, look, I can't stop you, but what are you going to do? Condemn Elena's best friend to what? How many years is she going to have with you? You can't give her kids. You can't turn her. If you do this, the Bennett line ends with Bonnie. Have you thought about that?"

"Stefan, Bonnie and I are friends now, alright. That's it," he said, taking a swig of bourbon from a glass on the counter.

"But…" Stefan gave Damon a knowing look.

"But what, little brother?"

"You have feelings for her, don't you?"

"I feel – something," Damon admitted, "Look, I'm just not in the mood to lose another woman I care about, okay? "

"Okay," Stefan sighed.

"Hey, don't you have better things to do than try go figure out my romantic status? I'll make it easy: next time, check Facebook," Damon joked.

Stefan shook his head in defeat.

"Hey, I've got a possible lead on where Lily may be hiding. I was hoping we could follow up on it together."

"Still chasing after ripper mommy? Talk about your hopeless endeavors," Damon snapped.

Stefan threw up his hands in defeat, and then turned on his heel.

"Suit yourself – wallow, moan, groan. Whatever you want," Stefan added before heading out the door, "You know, at least I'm doing something".

Damon watched as Stefan got into his car and drove off toward town.

"Well, brother, I am doing something," he said to himself, grabbing his car keys from the counter and his jacket from foyer, "I've got a witch to bring home."

Bonnie observed intently as Kai inflated the air mattress, placing it in front of the fireplace at the witch mansion. She studied his every motion, trying not to be entranced by the simple movements he was making.

"Watching me do this can't possibly be interesting," Kai muttered, "What's on your mind?"

"Just thinking about what you said at my house, that's all," Bonnie answered.

Kai stopped arranging the mattress and looked up.

"Which part? It's true; the spell really _is_ bound by Stefan. Your family figured it was the best way for the Salvatores and the Gilberts to let you live your life without always sacrificing it for them."

"No, I get that even though I don't know how I feel about it yet," Bonnie explained, "I mean the part about..."

Bonnie didn't know how she felt about repeating his impulsive declaration of love for her during his fight with Damon. She didn't understand how he could feel that way about anyone- especially her.

"Ah, still wrapping your brain around the 'I love her Damon' thing?" he asked, standing up and walking to her.

"You could say that," she pointed out, "It's not really something I expected to hear from you."

Kai leaned against the back of a tattered sofa and explained.

"I could give you a long-winded statement about the way I feel, but that's not me," he said, "It's just that the only time I feel like a decent human being is when you're around and you make me want to feel that way, Bonnie. You make me want to deserve you; even if I don't."

Bonnie took a deep breath, as if the air in the room would somehow cool her down from the heat his words created in her.

"Wow, I, um, I wish I had a good response for that," she added.

"Don't worry," he said, smiling, "I'm not waiting for you to say it back. I'm just happy you haven't tried to kill me yet."

"Well," Bonnie joked as she poked him in the shoulder, "It's still early!"

"Ok, now you're gonna get it," Kai laughed as he started chasing her around the room.

She wasn't running for her life. She was running from her heart.

Bonnie jumped over a duffel bag as Kai caught her in midair and tackled her onto the mattress. The landing didn't hurt, yet she was disoriented even more by his presence since he told her how he felt.

His rapid breath tickled her face as he held her close to his chest. Without thinking, she reached up and touched his cheek. A tingling sensation ran through her fingertips, down her arm, and eventually throughout her body. She was warm, but not in the same way as before. The desire was in the background. Something much gentler was stirring inside her. She instinctively pushed it aside.

Kai lightly tapped her on the forehead.

"What's wrong pretty lady? I didn't hurt you did I?" he asked.

"No," she said aloud. _Not yet,_ she thought to herself. She was falling for him against her will and wasn't sure how much longer she'd be able to keep it a secret.

He leaned in and kissed her forehead.

"You sure?" he insisted.

"Positive," she answered, looking into his eyes.

She couldn't fight it. She couldn't push it away. The man that had done so much to earn her hate was slowly working his way into her heart.

He made her feel both weak and strong at the same time.

Kai tilted her head up so he could kiss her. The gentle press of his lips to hers sent her heart into a wildly rapid beat. He wasn't trying to seduce her, just possess her for a few precious moments.

"We should get some sleep," Kai told her after finally releasing her mouth from his.

Bonnie reached up and pulled him within an inch of her face before she spoke.

"I'm not tired," she told him, then kissed him hard and with purpose.

Kai pulled back from her.

"Spiritus accendant flammis," he chanted in Latin.

The light from the fireplace cast brighter throughout the room. The candles sitting on the mantelpiece lit themselves.

Kai reached beneath Bonnie's shirt, slowly lifting it over her head. He smoothed her hair and kissed her again; even gentler than before. He worshipped her body with his hands and mouth, touching ever inch over and over again. Bonnie could barely handle the sensations, but she would have killed him if he stopped. She'd never been touched or kissed that way. It was romantic and erotic at the same time.

He took his time unbuttoning her pants, as he kissed down her stomach and he pulled them from her. She lay naked on the mattress except for a thin pair of light pink panties.

Bonnie soon realized that Kai was still fully dressed, but that didn't last long. He made quick work of removing all of his clothing, then hovered over her as if trying to decide how to pleasure torture her more.

After a moment, he rolled on his side and lied down next to her as the firelight gleamed off her lovely caramel skin. He scanned her from head to toe as if he were memorizing a work of art.

Kai then traced a finger over every inch of her body. The slow movement of his hand was only driving her wilder as the seconds ticked by.

"What do you want?" he whispered in her right ear, and then started nibbling on her earlobe.

Bonnie tried to form a coherent sentence, and finally gave up. She pulled him away from her to look so she could look in his eyes to issue her demand.

"I want you to make love to me," she told him, "Not just sex. Love. I've – I've never really had that."

Kai's frown of curiosity faded quickly as he nodded, smiled, and tilted her chin up so he could kiss her again. He then climbed on top of her, kissing along her neck, down her collarbone and between her breasts. He entered into her so gently her eyes rolled back into her head.

Bonnie arched into him and, as she did, he drew her left nipple into her mouth and sucked gently, flicking his tongue over it. She grabbed the back of his head and pulled him closer with each graceful thrust of his pelvis. The tension coiling deep inside her was about to give way as she clawed at his back to brace herself for her imminent release.

Sensing she was close, Kai grabbed her behind and yanked her up with him as he sat on the sofa. He then lowered her on top of his manhood. Bonnie wanted to moan, but his kisses were relentless. Although she was on top, Kai held her in place as he slid in and out of her with every intention of making it last as long as possible for both of them.

She clasped his biceps trying to ride the waves of ecstasy along with him. Barely able to speak, she croaked out his name as he panted hers. Strong arms held her. Gentle lips kissed her.

The candles cast their writhing shadows along the walls. Nothing she'd ever felt had been so intense. At that moment, nothing else in the world mattered. Their history and their future paled in comparison to their present.

Making love with Kai overwhelmed all of her senses. The saltiness of the sweat on his skin intoxicated her. His scent made her lungs crave to breath him in deeper. The way his fingers caressed her back made her weak with desire. The sound of him calling her name drove her closer and closer to the peak. The sight of the tension in his handsome face as he got closer to his own release was almost too much.

Kai brushed her hair from her face and turned her head to look at him. His voice was a sexy mixture of a pant and a groan.

"I do love you, Bonnie," he said, holding her tight – his body beginning to tense beneath her.

"I love you -," she answered back, then screamed his name as her orgasm crashed through her, "Kai!"

Heavy breathing bounced off the walls of the empty mansion.

He picked her up and placed her carefully on the mattress before taking his place next to her.

She turned to face him, running the back of her hand along his chin stubble. He grabbed her wrist and kissed her hand.

"Tired?" she asked, a wicked grin on her face.

"Hell yeah," he chuckled, kissing her cheek, "Sweet dreams beautiful."

"Goodnight handsome," she responded.

Kai's eyes drifted closed after wrapping an arm around her waist.

Bonnie watched him fall into a deep sleep. His breathing slowed and she found herself feeling perfectly content just to watch this man, her man, fall fast asleep.

She meant it when she told him that she loved him. In spite of everything, for some reason she did. He hadn't cast a spell on her – at least not a magical one. Since his return, he'd given her what she'd needed, protected her, respected her wishes, and taught her to embrace her own power. She prayed he'd stay that way.

Bonnie thought about jumping into Kai's dreams, but she wondered how he would feel about such an invasion. Curiosity soon got the better of her. She remembered his instructions, and listened to his breathing. She closed her eyes and focused on peeking into his mind.

The images started out blurry, but soon came into focus. She observed his dream unfold; a spectator in his mind. She watched as Kai played outside on a lush green lawn with a little boy and girl. Both children looked to be about three years old, with dark brown hair and gray eyes. They chased him around an unfamiliar yard, finally tackling him in the grass.

She could tell these weren't their children; their skin was much too light. She heard Kai's infectious laugh as he grabbed them both and kissed each on the cheek.

"I love you little devils," he said.

A flash of envy filled her. Was this the future? If so, she wasn't in it and Kai wasn't playing with their children. He must have found someone else to make him happy. The gold ring wedding band on his hand confirmed that. He would eventually leave her like everyone else had.

The thought saddened her almost to the point of leaving the dream until she heard a woman's voice. She turned to see Jo running up to grab the little girl and toss her into the air.

"Ok babies. Give your uncle a break," she told them, then turned to Kai, "Thanks for watching them for me."

"Not a problem," he answered, "I need the practice."

Bonnie then watched the dream version of herself walk up to Kai as he sat in the grass. Her swollen belly was obvious. He rubbed her stomach then kissed it.

The images faded away as she left his dream. Tears of joy and sadness fell from her eyes. She tried to stifle her sniffling, but it was too late.

He woke up, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Someone was being nosy," he jokingly chastised her.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"It's okay," he told her.

"That was – " she started.

"Gracie and Simon," he interrupted, painful regret crossing over his face, "My niece and nephew."

"Kai," she whispered.

"Bonnie, nothing you can say is going to help. I killed them, and my sister, just to prove a fucking point," he told her, "Maybe Hell was better than having to see them every night and be reminded of what I did. The lives they could have had."

"So then let this is your second chance to prove you're not a monster," she told him.

"I don't deserve a second chance!" he exclaimed, and started to get up. She stopped him.

"Too late," Bonnie stated, before kissing his lips softly, "I'm giving you one."

The vampire veins showed again in Kai's eyes. He turned from her.

"Look, I'm a little hungry, I'll be back," he said.

She stopped his retreat again, running her fingers over the veins of her neck, her wrist, and her inner thigh.

"Pick a vein," she smiled at him.

Kai blushed.

"Bonnie come on. I can just grab a sandwich. I can't feed on you again, no matter how tempting you are," he added.

"You'd rather have a sandwich than eat me?" Bonnie asked, seductively pulling him toward her.

Kai laughed.

"Trust me you taste much better," he answered kissing her neck. He pulled back, his eyes were becoming red and the veins showed.

"Go on. I'm not scared," she told him.

"You scared? No. Deep down, I don't think you were ever afraid of me," he told her, stroking her hair.

Bonnie offered her neck. Kai leaned in and pierced her skin with his teeth. He moaned into her shoulder, sucking in the sweetness of her blood. She ran her fingers through his hair; a warm, sensual heat rousing inside her.

He pulled away, rubbing his thumb over her puncture wounds. He'd done the same thing the first night they'd spent together.

Kai bit his wrist.

"Here," he told her, encouraging him to drink from him to heal her wound.

Bonnie accepted, sucking in the blood. She expected it to taste salty, but it didn't. It was more like a mixture of honey and cinnamon, which was something she hadn't tasted in vampire blood when it had been used to heal her before. She was starting to enjoy it when Kai pulled her away.

"Bonnie, what are doing?" he asked, still euphoric from her blood.

"For some reason, you taste good," she admitted, licking the excess blood from her lips.

"We shouldn't be able to blood share," he told her.

Bonnie saw the sensual hunger in his eyes and only speculated that it matched her own.

Finally giving back into temptation, he bit her neck again as she sucked from his wrist. They fed from each other between kisses and caresses; bodies molded to one another.

A sudden stirring interrupted them.

"What – what was that?" she asked, still blinded with desire.

Kai stood, dressed quickly, and headed to the window.

"I'm going to check it out, alright," he told her, turning to see her dressing herself as well.

"I'm going with you," Bonnie stated.

Kai took in a deep breath.

"Fuck it. I'm not even going to bother arguing with you, now or ever," he told her.

He grabbed his shoes and took Bonnie's hand after she was fully clothed.

Kai left the house first, surveying the front yard carefully. Darkness covered the trees that surrounded the property, but there was enough light for him to see that they had company.

He turned to face her.

"I love you," he told her, kissing her forehead.

"I love you too, but what is it? Heretics?" she asked, preparing for another fight.

"Worse," he said, "Damon."

Bonnie growled at the second invasion from a man she thought was her friend.

Damon used vamp speed to charge the house only to be thrown back by a magical barrier surrounding the structure. He landed with a thud on the front yard.

Kai walked up to Damon, reaching down to help him up. Damon slapped his hand away and stood up on his own.

"What the fuck was that?" he asked.

"Protection spell," Bonnie answered, "How did you find me?"

"You're not very creative with your hiding places, sweetheart," Damon answered.

Kai, visibly offended by Damon's term of endearment to Bonnie, kicked him against a tree. Damon recovered quickly, rushing Kai and knocking him back onto the porch.

"I could do this all day kiddo," Damon baited him.

"Whatever you say old man," Kai bit back, lunging at his competitor again.

Bonnie wanted to stop them, but she knew this time they wouldn't kill one another.

Kai punched Damon in the jaw. Damon returned the favor with a series of hits to Kai's stomach.

Kai caught Damon's next punch, grabbed his arm, and spun him around, then kicked him again.

"How long have you been here, huh? We're you watching us," Kai asked, "Taking notes I'm sure."

"Listen Kid, I've been around more than 170 years. I don't need your advice. I could teach a fucking class," Damon responded, drawing back his fist.

"How's that saying go: 'Those who can, do. Those who can't teach?'" chided Kai.

The wind picked up to a violent pace, stopping both men in their tracks. They turned to see Lily, flanked by two male heretics.

"Fascinating," she said in the calmly threatening voice, "My son and my sire fighting over a witch."

Kai and Damon glanced at each other and nodded, making a silent agreement to put their fight on hold to protect Bonnie.

Lily motioned to her bodyguards.

"You know what to do," she said, as both of them targeted Kai and Damon.

Damon reached his opponent first, dodging his attack then picking up the heretic and slamming him into the ground with enough force to make a man-made indentation in the ground. He ten knelt down and snapped the man's neck.

"Impressive," Kai complimented.

Kai then rushed the second attacker, leaping into the air and landing behind him. He then grabbed a branch from the tree above and drove it into the Heretics chest. The man fell to the ground and burst into flames.

Damon cocked his head in acknowledgement.

"Hmm. Not too bad," Damon pointed out.

Kai bowed with a smile.

They both then turned to see that Lily had vanished.

Kai looked around.

"Bonnie it's all – " Kai stopped. He scanned the yard, the porch, and the woods.

"Bon Bon!" Damon yelled, but there was no answer.

She was gone.

A blood-curdling scream erupted from Kai's throat.

"BONNIE!"

"Damn it," Damon said, "It was just a fucking diversion. The bitch took her."

"Damon, We have to find her NOW," Kai said, desperation lacing his voice.

"No shit Sherlock, I know that," Damon pointed out, "Don't worry. She has your blood in her system."

"How the hell do you know… You fucker, you _were_ watching us," Kai yelled.

Kai grabbed Damon and pinned him to the large maple tree at the edge of the property.

"Look, I'm just saying if we don't get to her in time, she'll at least come back as a vampire," Damon noted, "She may hate it, but at least she'll be around to hate it."

"You don't understand," Kai said.

"They're not going to hurt her. They probably just need her blood," Damon tried to reassure him.

"Damon, don't you think if they only needed her blood they would have taken that and not her? If they wanted her dead that fast, they would have killed her right here. They need her heart," Kai told him.

"What the Hell do they want it for?" Damon asked.

"Bonnie doesn't just have her power. Every Bennett witch shared her power and knowledge with Bonnie," Kai said, "So what does she know that heretics shouldn't get their hands on?"

Damon thought for a moment, then terror crossed over his face.

"The immortality spell," he said quietly, "And the spell for the cure. They will be indestructible and kill us all at the same time."

"Damon, they're going to torture Bonnie to get the spell out of her. Then they're going to pull out her heart and use it. She can't come back from that. They are going to kill the woman I love, and then they're going to be unstoppable," Kai panted, his exhaustion catching up with him.

"We'll get her back. I'll – I'll help you get her back," Damon said with a confidence even he didn't believe.

"Why the hell would you care if Bonnie dies? The spell breaks and you win," Kai said, searching frantically for traces Bonnie may have left behind.

"I won't win anything if she dies, you dick," Damon told him, "Because, I'm in love with her too."


	6. Chapter 6

Resurrection: Chapter Five

By V.C. Turner

Kai and Damon ignored the loud thumping coming from the trunk. Their prisoner would die eventually, so it didn't matter if he suffered a few bumps and bruises on the way back to the Salvatore Mansion.

Kai walked to the driver's side door of Damon's car. Damon yanked him back by his throat.

"My car douche witch!" he said.

Kai broke Damon's wrist, releasing himself from the vampire's grip.

"My girlfriend!" Kai fired back, quickly letting Damon go.

"Girlfriend?" Damon asked.

"Oh, don't be jealous. It looks really ugly on a man your age," Kai added, giving him a wink.

"Just get in the damned car!" Damon yelled.

The 20-minute drive to the Salvatore house went by in silence. Damon purposely hit as many potholes as he could so that the imprisoned Heretic would feel the pain of the trip considering the crime he'd committed. Taking Bonnie had sealed the man's fate.

Damon didn't know how to punish him for kidnapping Bonnie, but he was excited about getting creative.

The bigger and more dangerous problem was Kai. Not only had he taken Elena away from him and now he'd taken Bonnie too. Over the past several months, he'd accepted the fact that he would have to live without Elena for several decades, but being with Bonnie would have made it somewhat bearable. Their friendship anchored him.

But now, even that was impossible.

"What are you brooding about over there?" Kai asked, breaking Damon out of his thoughts.

"I'm trying to decide how to kill the both of you," answered Damon.

"You want me dead, again? Because of what this time?" Kai retorted.

"You know why," Damon said, scowling at the road that adjoined the Salvatore driveway.

"So you're mad because Bonnie isn't going to be your doormat or your Band-Aid anymore," Kai noted, as they pulled up to the house.

"Oh, I've got all kinds of reasons to want you dead, dick, but I'll save that for later," Damon said, exiting the car.

Kai and Damon pulled the bound heretic out of the trunk. The bruises he'd experienced during the trip were healing slowly, but he remained defiant, fighting his captors all the way inside the house.

"Honey, I'm home," Damon said.

"Break out the whips, pokers and chains," Kai added.

Stefan stood in shock as they walked into the foyer.

"How the hell are you alive?" Stefan said to Kai, too surprised to move from his spot next to the fireplace.

Damon answered.

"Look, brother, now is not the time for 20 questions. Our not so beloved mother has taken Bonnie hostage. This bastard and his buddies know where she is, so we're just going to have a little discussion downstairs," Damon told him.

"So, you guys think torturing him is the way to get what you want?" Stefan asked.

"That is the point of torture Stefan," Kai said, turning to Damon, "He is a vampire, right?"

Damon nodded in acknowledgment.

"Allegedly, but I've had my doubts over the years," Damon shrugged sarcastically.

"What makes you guys think he's going to talk" Stefan added, "He's got what he wants. He knows he's going to die."

"Yeah, but he gets to pick how – and that's the important thing," Kai stated.

Damon pointed at Kai.

"Listen to the psychopath Stefan," Damon pointed out, "He knows what he's talking about."

Kai growled at Damon and received a smirk in response.

"Just to be clear: I don't actually torture, Damon," Kai said flatly, "I used to terrorize and kill, but no torture."

"So the new you is a saint?" Damon joked.

"Let's just say the list of people I feel like killing has gotten significantly smaller," Kai answered.

Damon looked Kai up and down.

"Well, my list just added one more," Damon said as he hoisted the Heretic over his shoulder.

"I'm honored," Kai retorted.

Damon rolled his eyes. He patted the Heretic on the bottom and walked him downstairs.

"Come on. Let's get to work before I tie you to a chair instead of this bastard," Damon grunted.

"I appreciate the offer Damon, but I think I'll save the kinky stuff for Bonnie when we get her back," Kai joked.

"Full of confidence, aren't we oh Evil One," Damon said as he dropped the Heretic in a metal chair and tied the man down with vervain ropes and chains.

"I want her back Damon," Kai told him, "It's as simple as that."

"Well have at him," Damon said, "I've got a quick call to make."

Damon left the Salvatore dungeon, leaving Kai alone with the Heretic.

"What's your name," Kai demanded.

"You don't remember?" the man asked.

"Being dead screws with the brain a little. What's your name asshole?" Kai repeated.

"Theodore," he said with a growl as he looked up at Kai.

"Ah, Theo. Right. Now I remember. You nearly killed me a couple of times. Not too bright are you – trying to slaughter your only food source," Kai stated, anger beginning to boil over inside of him.

Kai did what he had to do to survive in the 1903 prison world, and that meant being treated as a breathing blood bag until he could get back to the present.

He hadn't forgotten that Bonnie had left him there. He hadn't forgotten that she had betrayed him and tried to kill him, but she was right: he'd done the same to her. They'd forgiven each other, and somehow developed love for one another. Now, that was in danger because of the demon sitting in front of him.

Kai decided in that moment that Theo wasn't going to get to choose his manner of death.

"I guess you want me to beg for my life?" Theo pointed out.

"No," Kai said simply, kneeling down to eye level, "That would be a waste of time."

Kai made a motion with his finger and Theo's throat began to slit open little by little. Theo wriggled against the restraints, but couldn't stop it. He glared at Kai with hatred and tried to use magic against him, but it wasn't working.

"Why-" Theo began to choke out.

"Having a little trouble with your magic? That's my fault. On the way over here, I cast a spell to bind your powers with the vervain ropes," Kai told him. He then stopped magically slitting the man's throat to allow him to speak.

"Why would you do this to your own kind?" Theo asked.

"You took her!" Kai yelled.

"Yes, the little Bennett witch," Theo said, smirking.

Kai stood, held out his hand, and used magic to lift Theo and the chair up into the air.

"Yes," said Kai, "My Bennett witch."

"She is a pretty little thing and here aren't that many Bennetts left alive," Theo croaked.

"If you think pissing me off is going to force me to kill you quickly you're wrong!" Kai scolded, choking the man with his magic – his anger exploding, "WHERE IS SHE?!"

Damon walked into the room, leaning against the door jam and watched Kai at work.

Kai placed Theo back on the ground.

"Where?" Kai continued, speaking in a voice so calm that it sounded like a deadly threat.

Theo shook his head.

"No," Theo pointed out, "You might as well kill me because what she'll do if I tell you is much worse."

Kai turned to Damon, who wore a similar expression of confusion.

Damon then advanced on Theo.

"Look, I'm not sure what my mother told you, but I am sure I can do A LOT more damage than she can," noted Damon.

"I'm not talking about Lily," Theo said.

"Who the hell _are_ you talking about?" Damon asked.

"I'm not speaking her name," Theo said, "And you're not getting it out of me."

Kai and Damon looked at each other as a sudden knock on the door interrupted their interrogation.

A beautiful woman with long black hair and skin as creamy caramel as Bonnie's walked into the room. Both men stood at attention since her mannerisms were as commanding as the expression on her face.

She first looked at Damon, acknowledging his existence. She then turned to Kai.

"You must be Kai," she said looking him up and down while inhaling, "Somehow I figured you'd be taller."

Damon chuckled. Kai scowled back at him, then appraised the woman for himself. She was taller than Bonnie, but they had the same eyes. They were definitely related in some fashion. Had he not already been in love with Bonnie, he would have chased after this lovely Bennett witch. What an amazing gene pool, he thought.

"Oh, I'm plenty big enough," Kai said, standing a little straighter than normal, "And you are?"

"Lucy," she said with a smile, "Although apparently to Damon I'm his other B.W.O.D."

"BWOD?" asked Kai.

"Oh," Lucy noted, "Bennett Witch On Demand."

Damon huffed behind her, but she ignored him.

"Can you do a locator spell on your cousin? This bastard and his merry band of vamp witches have her hidden somewhere," Damon added.

She turned to look at him.

"Do you have what I need?" she asked.

Damon winked and pulled out three candles, placing them around the room.

Lucy walked over to the heretic, tilting her head as a predator would before attacking its prey.

"I know you're scared," she told him, ripping open his shirt, "That's good."

Lucy motioned to Kai and Damon as she spoke to the captive.

"These two - might ask if you want this done the easy way or the hard way," Lucy continued, "You've taken a member of my family. I'm not asking questions."

She stood up and pulled a knife out from her back pocket. In one swift motion, she slashed the shape of a cross into his chest. Blood trickled from his wounds. She scraped the knife along the bloody cross of flesh, gathering the heretic's blood onto the blade.

Lucy dripped it onto the floor, then wiped his blood onto her jeans. Making an incision in her hand, she let her blood trickle onto the floor as well. The candles in the room lit, burning furiously as the room shook.

She turned to Damon.

"Herbs," she said.

Damon handed her a clump of green leaves, which she crushed onto the floor and mixed in with the blood.

"Lespri, se pou san mwen mennen nou nan sè m '. Mwen sipliye ou. Mwen envoke ou. Kenbe l 'san danje, epi pote reckoning la sou moun sa yo. Se pou sa a move lespri sou mennen nou nan zanj nou yo, Bonnie," Lucy spoke.

Theo began convulsing as his wounds healed themselves. He looked up, terrified.

"What did you do?" he asked of Lucy.

"I got my answer," she told him.

Lucy walked up to the Heretic and released him from the ropes.

Damon tried to stop her.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"He won't tell us anything, Damon," she said, turning to him and winking, "We need to let him go. I'll consult the other grimoires I brought with me and think of another way."

Lucy confidently walked out of the room, leaving all three men alone to consider her words.

Theo sped out of the house in a flash, not looking back.

Damon and Kai followed Lucy upstairs and found her reaching into a backpack and pulling out a compass.

Damon spoke first.

"Please tell us you have a Plan B," he said.

"Plan A will work just fine," Lucy told him, showing the compass to both of them as it pointed North and away from town.

"Well, well, well. Look at that Damon," Kai said, "We've got Bennett GPS."

Lucy smiled as she packed up her things and headed toward the door.

Stefan grabbed his jacket to follow them outside, but Damon placed a hand on his brother's chest.

"No, brother. You stay here," Damon said.

"You're kidding, right?" Stefan asked, pushing against his brother's hand.

"Listen, you haven't been thinking clearly since blondie traipsed down to New Orleans to grab herself a Klaus Burger. Just – stay here. We've got this," Damon responded, giving his brother a quick pat before heading out the door.

Damon didn't need to worry about Stefan's safety along with Bonnie's. No. His mind had to be clear. Facing his mother and possibly killing her was enough to distract him.

Ripping Kai's head off again also had its appeal.

Bonnie's eyes flickered open, but her vision was still blurry. She'd been drugged and felt incredibly angry that she had been taken so easily. All of her newfound power meant nothing if she didn't have the ability to concentrate; and the narcotics in her system hampered her focus.

Still dizzy and disoriented, Bonnie scanned the room trying to orient herself to her surroundings. Each blink provided new information. The walls were arched up toward a peak in the center of the large room. Stained glass windows lined the dome at the top. There were crosses hanging next to each window along the walls. She figured she must have been in an abandoned church of some sort, but she wasn't sure which one or even if she was in the same town.

Burning candles surrounded her, as she lay secured to an altar, bound by her hands and feet with ropes.

She heard voices coming from the darkness in the background – two women, but she had no idea who they were.

What she could tell was that they were angry and apparently disappointed.

"We can't do it yet. You took her too soon you fool?" one woman said.

"Fool? You do realize I could kill you with a thought, don't you?" the other responded.

"Of course you could try, but then neither of us would get what we need," the first woman snapped back.

"So, what do you need from me?" Bonnie said into the darkness beyond the candles.

The image in front of her slowly came into focus as Lily lifted Bonnie's chin.

"You don't have everything we need Bonnie," Lily said, "But, you will have it soon."

"I suppose, then, that means you'll let me go?" Bonnie asked. She willed her strength to return and it began to fill her once again as the drugs started fading from her system.

She felt the power of the Bennett line within her bones.

Everyone in the church was about to die.

They just didn't know it yet.

"Oh, I have no intention of letting you go, dear. Not just yet," Lily said stroking her cheek in a manner way too affectionate for Bonnie's taste, "I'm waiting for my son to arrive."

"He won't come for me!" Bonnie said, enraged. His mother knew that as well as she did.

Damon didn't care.

"Sure he will, sweetheart. You should have seen the way he fought for you back at the house," Lily added sighing with either humor or pride – Bonnie couldn't tell which, "Quite impressive, I thought."

"Damon won't save me. If you're looking for a way to bait your son to his death, threaten to burn Elena in her coffin," Bonnie said, softening her tone. She wanted Lily to lean in closer. She was ready to attack with magic.

"He'll come. He may not want to admit it, but he does care about you more than either of your realize," Lily pointed out.

Bonnie considered Lily's words, then quickly brushed them aside. She couldn't think about Damon. Concern about Kai, however, filled her with overwhelming dread. She wondered if he'd made it out alive. Had he survived, would killing another heretic have turned him into the monster she feared rather than the man that she loved? _Good God. I actually love Kai_ , Bonnie thought to herself. Had she not been in immediate danger, she would have laughed out loud at the notion.

Kai wasn't boyfriend material. He was conceited. He was ruthless. He possessed an abundance of charm and a lack of humility. Yet, he'd somehow won her over after everything he'd done to make her hate him.

He was different. So was she.

Bonnie briefly thought of the surprisingly gentle way he'd touched her the night before. So much tenderness now flowed from someone who'd always been so harsh. Such warmth coming from the cold heart he'd once had. Both the merge and the trip to Hell had changed him. She prayed there was no going back. She prayed he'd find a way to save her if she couldn't save herself.

The ropes that secured her tightened when she moved, so she remained still and slowly chanted a small spell under her breath: " _ille funes, non me solvere, ille funes, non me solvere!"_

"She's too quiet," Lily said to someone behind her.

"Hmm, not that quiet," the other woman noted.

A stunningly beautiful, dark haired woman came into view. Bonnie didn't recognize her, but she hadn't had the displeasure of meeting all of Lily's "family."

Bonnie stopped breathing. The woman's eyes bore into her: they were an almost translucent blue with silver flecks throughout. Dark curls cascaded down her shoulders. The magic surging through her body began to subside; the waves of power that washed over her suddenly began ebbing away – straining against a force that attempted to hold them in place. Her powers were bound. She couldn't believe a Heretic possessed that much power.

Then she realized it. The woman wasn't a Heretic. The woman was a witch: A pure blooded witch who practiced dark magic.

Pure blood witches were very rare and exceptionally powerful. They were born from solely supernatural lines. No ordinary human was good enough to associate, much less procreate with another pure blood.

The stronger the bloodline, the stronger the magic. That kind of power tended to go to a witch's head, making her dangerous to everyone around her.

"Lily, I'm not going to be able to bind her for long. This witch is much stronger than you led me to believe. I'm using everything in me to do this. We don't have the time," the woman warned.

Her coldness was apparent, but so was her fear. She was using magic against another witch. The spirits wouldn't be pleased with her. The evil she sent out would be revisited upon her soon, but it was apparently a risk she was willing to take.

Lily scoffed at her witch friend and turned back to Bonnie.

"We are going to need a little information from you, dear," Lily said.

"And you believe drugging me is going to help you get that," Bonnie snapped back defiantly. Regaining her power would the first step to freedom, but fighting against the witch was draining.

A part of her hoped that Kai would burst through the door and rescue her, however the last time she'd seen him, he was starting a battle with a heretic.

She continued whispering the spell to release her arms from bondage when the doors at the front of the church flew open.

Bonnie's heart nearly burst from her chest, thinking she'd see Kai force his way inside.

The Heretic named Theo entered the building instead, nodding to Lily and looking Bonnie up and down with skepticism.

"So this is the one?" he said, his voice was laced with disgust.

"Yes," Lily responded, dismissing him immediately.

"She doesn't look like much," Theo added, disgust dripping off his words.

The mysterious witched looked at Bonnie and smiled in acknowledgment.

"You should be more respectful Theodore," she said, "Or I'll let this little one kill you."

Lily addressed Theo in a more motherly tone, her soft voice sending chills down Bonnie's pine.

"I'd given you up for dead, Theodore," Lily smiled, "I'm so glad you're safe."

"Barely," he pointed out, "They tried to get it out of me, but I said nothing," Theo responded.

"You weren't followed?" the mystery witch noted. Bonnie thought she'd detected a slight accent in the woman's voice, but she couldn't place it.

"Thank you Theodore," said Lily, her voice nauseatingly sweet.

Bonnie couldn't understand what Lily saw in these demons that was so important that she dismissed in her own flesh and blood. Perhaps her reason lied in the fact that her true sons would never accept her as the monster she became after being turned. Perhaps it was because she could teach her new family how to control their blood lust even though she could barely keep a wrap on her own. Perhaps she was just evil and didn't want to burden her sons the guilt of her own slaughters.

Theo turned to sit in a pew near the far window. The moonlight glistened off of the stained glass, casting a multi-colored glow along the floors.

Bonnie planned on drawing from the moon to regain her powers, when the church doors burst open again. A powerful gush of wind blew into the room, sending the heretics, Lily, and the witch flying in multiple directions.

Lucy stood on the foyer, holding out her hand to keep her would-be attackers at bay. Her long hair whipped around her shoulders like a cape.

Bonnie felt both relief and fear that her cousin wouldn't be strong enough to hold them off without help.

Damon then crashed through the window directly above Theo's pew. He landed with a thud on top of the heretic, ripping the man's head off his shoulders as if he were removing the cork from a bottle of wine.

"Damn that felt good!" Damon said, then looked up at his mother.

"Damon!" Lily screamed at him, tears flooding her face as she watched her actual son kill her Heretic spawn.

As she rushed him, Kai uncloaked himself in front of her and snapping Lily's neck with one swift movement.

Damon quickly circled around Bonnie's altar, and attacked the mystery witch, his teeth sinking into the woman's flesh easily as he drained her to the point of death. Her body crumpled onto the floor in front of the altar.

Kai pulled out a knife and shredded the ropes securing Bonnie to the altar. He leaned over her and smiled.

"I always imagined you tied up like this, but it's not as much of a turn on as I thought it'd be," he said with a wink.

"You're such a romantic," Bonnie scoffed at him as he lifted her from the alter and whisked her outside. He kissed her forehead once outside the church.

"How are you feeling, Bonster?" he asked with genuine concern.

Damon and Lucy soon followed them outside.

"Phesmatos incendia," Lucy said, setting the church on fire.

Damon chuckled as he watched the building burn.

"Lucy, you're probably going to go to Hell for that," Damon said to her.

"Maybe. But not today," Lucy responded.

Kai, Bonnie, Lucy and Damon descended the steps and headed for the car.

A loud scream stopped them in their tracks. It was a bloodcurdling sound of pain, anguish and anger. They all turned to see the mystery witch crawl from the altar and stand with arms outstretched as the church crumbled around her. No debris touched her as she stood under a shield of magic. Lily rose up next to her, quickly healed from her neck snap.

The woman screamed again, but she wasn't yelling in pain. She was calling a name.

"Malachi!" she yelled, her voice shaking the ground.

Damon and Lucy shoved Bonnie into the car, as Kai stood motionless for a moment. In spite of his better judgment, Damon yanked Kai into the car and sped off into the night.

Kai held Bonnie in the back seat. He stroked her hair and whispered in her ear that everything would be fine. She felt his heart racing inside his chest. His fear – his panic had nothing to with the battle. She looked up into his eyes, and he gave her a weak smile before kissing her cheek.

"Who the hell was that?!" Damon said, an unusual uncertainty plaguing his voice as well.

After a brief silence, he spoke.

"Elizabeth Greenway Parker," Kai said, "She's my mother."


	7. Chapter 7

**Resurrection: Chapter Six**

By V. C. Turner

The wind chimes danced against one another in the breeze, calling him from the distance. He didn't answer. A soft chuckle escaped his lips as he watched her peer behind each bush littered along the front porch. He'd hidden there the last time. Didn't she know better than to look for him in the same place?

Her dark hair was drawn back into a haggard ponytail - a rushed job meant to keep her unruly locks out of her eyes so she could find him easier. The fuzzy pink sweater she wore swallowed her arms, but she refused to get rid of the thing because it was soft, warm and comfy – her favorite to wear during the Fall season. Still, constantly pulling back the sleeves distracted her from her the task of finding her brother.

Kai chuckled, but only loud enough so he could hear it. He would win the bet and she'd be making his bed for another week. The satisfaction settled in his belly, tingling against his skin. He leaned back against the tree and a few pieces of dried bark fell to the ground.

 _Oh crap!_ , he thought, _she heard that._

Suddenly, Josette turned and faced his direction, so he stopped moving just in case she caught a glimpse of his shoelace as it dangled from his right foot.

What was that spell he'd heard their father use again?

Oh yeah: _Invisique!_ He said to himself.

Jo approached the tree, looking down at the bark that lay upon the grass. She looked up and saw nothing, but a smile still danced across her face.

"Oh Malachai," she said in a sing-song voice.

She must have known he was there, but she walked away slowly toward the stone gate entrance at the front of the property.

"Kids, you need to get in here now. It's dinner time," mother called out into the wind.

Kai stayed hidden in the tree. Cube steak, mashed potatoes and lima beans wasn't a dinner worth sprinting back to the house for. Besides, he only needed another two minutes before Jo forfeited the game.

As that thought crossed his mind, fuzzy sweater Jo skipped back toward the house, stopping at the tree.

 _Shoot. She had found him even though he was invisible._ Jo never ceased to amaze him on some days.

"Come on down from there, squirrel," she said sweetly, "I got you."

Kai reappeared, allowing her to see him. He was proud of his younger sister - younger by 10 minutes or so, but who's counting?

As he descended the tree, one of the small branches gave way, and he fell to the ground landing close enough to Josette to knock her down. Instead of anger, she giggled at his clumsiness.

She hopped back up, reaching out a hand to help her brother off the ground. As she pulled him up, a strange red glow appeared between their two palms.

While Kai began to feel a surge of energy that erased the pain of falling, Jo's knees buckled beneath her. They stared at each other confused, each trying to break the bond by pulling away from each other.

"I – I can't let go," Kai screamed, trying to brace himself against the tree and pull away from the sister he was hurting.

"I can't either, Kai," Jo cried as the wind kicked up in response to the magic they were sharing, "What's happening?"

Fighting against the power that surged between them, their parents ran to their aid.

Joshua Parker grabbed his daughter and pulled as hard as he could, but the bond couldn't be broken. Elizabeth ran toward her son, snaking an arm around his waist and chanting something in Latin.

The connection broke, and all four fell to the ground in exhaustion.

Joshua checked on Josette before lunging at Kai.

"You little bastard!" he screamed, loud enough for two of the basement windows to shatter.

"Daddy, I didn't mean to," Kai pleaded.

His father ignored him.

"You could have killed her," his father continued.

"I said I didn't mean to, daddy. I'm sorry, Jo," Kai cried, his voice crackling. Confused by what happened, he didn't know how else to respond. The power he felt began to fade and the emptiness returned.

Joshua then turned to Elizabeth and pointed at her.

"This, this is your doing," he scolded his wife, the veins in his neck becoming even more pronounced than ever before.

"Take Josette inside Joshua," she told him, "Now is not the time!"

Joshua scooped Jo into his arms and carried her into the house. Jo looked back at Kai with pain and regret, but no anger. She knew Kai didn't have any powers and that hurting her wasn't something he would ever do intentionally. She mouthed the words "It's okay," in his direction as she disappeared behind the door. He smiled after her.

Elizabeth looked down at her son with a scowl. The look of motherly concern never showed upon her face; only disappointment. She grabbed his chin.

"You listen to me Malachai: you will never become the leader you were meant to be if you always cower in front of him," she said as she released his chin, "Or in front of me."

She backed up and awaited a response from her son. She didn't get one.

Seven year-old Kai sat on the ground puzzled. She'd been angry with him before, but never this mad. The worst punishments he'd ever received were the denial of dessert or being sent to his room for several hours. He got the distinct impression that those days were over. The expression on her face was colder than the breeze that whipped at his face. He crossed his arms for warmth, but there was none in her presence.

She drew in a deep breath.

"It looks like I'm going to have to start your education sooner than expected," she told him.

Elizabeth grabbed her son by the sleeve of his windbreaker and led the boy to the outside entrance of the basement. He'd never been afraid of that part of the house before, but on that day, fear had seized him by his left sleeve. Fear was named mama. Fear was going to hurt him.

Elizabeth used her magic to flip on the lights of the desolate room. The walls were black and bare. Only a water heater, a washer and a dryer sat in the corner of the room. An oval rope rug lay in the center of the floor. She set Kai down on the rug and disappeared out of sight for a moment, shouting a warning back to him.

"Do. Not. Move," she ordered.

He had no choice but to obey.

She returned quickly. In her left hand she cradled a large book, a grimoire, with pages falling out of it. In her right hand she held a black candle. She sat them in the middle of the rug in front of her son.

Elizabeth then surrounded the rug with salt, creating a magical barrier from which her son could not escape.

"Lesson one, Malachai: You must know more than everyone. In order to lead them, they must turn to you for guidance because knowledge truly is power," she pointed out, sounding more like a professor than a parent.

Kai nodded in agreement, still fearing what she might to do him.

"Hey Lizzy, where's the first aid kit?" Joshua called from upstairs.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"The leader of the entire fucking Gemini coven can't locate a damned Band-Aid," she told her son, "This is yet another reason you need to toughen up child! Do you understand?"

"Yes," he muttered.

She then turned from the boy and called sweetly upstairs.

"I'll be up on a minute Josh," she said in her obedient wife voice.

She turned back to face Kai.

"You will not leave here until you memorize every spell in this book. Do you hear me child? No food. No sleep. Every word. Understood?" she ordered.

Kai simply nodded, his short black hair clinging to his forehead from sweat and terror. He tried to settle his nerves, soothing himself by rubbing his crossed legs over and over again. The friction of his hands pressing against his jeans burned the skin beneath, but at least it distracted him - from her.

Elizabeth nodded back, heading for the stairs. She stopped halfway up, smiling at the faint light coming from the door leading to the kitchen upstairs.

She looked back at her son.

"Ignorant kings die Malachai," she said to him, her tone flat and harsh. She turned away from the darkness and ascended into the light, looking up.

"Eventually, they all die."

Kai shook, but took his vibrating hands and turned to the first page of the spell book and began to read the words over and over to himself.

A soft clatter emanated from the corner of the room. Small footsteps approached and as Kai tried to back away. He ran up against the magic barrier instead.

"It's alright baby," a sweet voice said, "Everything's going to be alright."

A small, brown skinned woman appeared before him. Her curly hair surrounded her cherub face as she spoke to him in soft tones so her voice didn't carry beyond the two of them.

"Don't let this darkness consumer you child. I have something for you," she said.

Like most children, Kai was taught to be wary of strangers, but this woman's calm demeanor eased his fears. She was warm and kind. He could feel her energy even though she was standing three feet from him; beyond the barrier his mother created.

"What is it," he said softly, a weak smile beginning to nudge at the edges of his lips.

"It's not a 'what,' child. It _will_ be a 'who' and she's not here yet, but she will be. Until then, you need to stay strong. You need to endure. The darkness may take over at times, but you have to fight it back, okay," she said.

Kai nodded, feeling more at ease than he'd ever felt before.

The woman turned and walked away, back into the darkness of the room.

"Hey wait," he pleaded, suddenly realizing that he may have spoken too loudly, "What's her name?"

It was too late. The mystery woman was gone. He turned back to his candles and jumped at the sight of a beautiful young woman, about 20 years old, with a similar angelic face as his new mystery friend.

"Who are you?" he asked

"I'm Bonnie, sweetheart. Now lets get out of here," she told him.

Instinctively, he reached for her hand and was pulled out of the darkness.

Kai awakened in a guest bedroom of the Salvatore home with sweat on his brow and tears threatening to sting his eyes. He was shaken at first, but Bonnie's beautiful green eyes and sweet smile settled his nerves.

He stroked her cheek after realizing that he was finally coming out of the darkness and into her light.

"Thank you Bonnie," he said.

"You're welcome," she answered, wrapping her arm around him and placing her head back on his shoulder.

Kai closed his eyes. A long, pause followed as he listened to Bonnie's soft breathing. It soothed him. It warmed him. They were safe for the moment. Damon had given he and Bonnie temporary shelter at the mansion while they figured what to do with the new enemy in their lives.

"Was that real?" she asked.

"Up until the part where you walked up to me, yes," he noted, his thoughts still lingered on the image of his mother - both then and now.

He clenched his teeth in frustration, wishing Damon had killed wench that gave birth to him, but apparently some witches just wouldn't fucking die.

"I thought your mother was – " Bonnie started.

"Dead? Yeah, so did I," he interrupted.

Kai lazily stroked her back, allowing his thoughts to drift from the unpleasant memory of his mother to the beautiful woman Sheila Bennett had gifted to him all those years ago.

Clad only in a thin t-shirt that barely covered the tops of her thighs, Bonnie was indeed a seductive distraction from their deadly predicament.

He didn't deserve her. He was well aware of that. He'd allowed the darkness to consume him far too often over the years to be worthy of such a treasure. He'd killed. He'd manipulated. He'd become far too much like his mother than he ever allowed himself to realize.

Still, he needed to bask in the glow the sun cast on Bonnie's bare caramel skin. He lost himself in her lavender perfume, her sweet smile, and her upturned nose. He kissed the tip of it just to acknowledge its beauty.

He'd almost lost her the night before. Now that Elizabeth knew he how he felt about her, Bonnie wasn't safe. She wouldn't be safe until his mother was dead.

He hadn't planned on letting her out of his sight, but she was too stubborn to stay put. He'd need help to protect her. He growled inwardly at the fact that the help he needed would probably have to come from the Salvatores. Stefan wasn't the problem. Damon was.

Kai's possessiveness threatened to undo his control. One glance back at Bonnie's worried brow stopped his surging anger.

"What are you thinking about now?" she asked sweetly in an obvious attempt to improve his mood.

"Sex," he answered.

She punched him playfully.

"I'm serious Kai," she said, yet there was nothing at all serious about her expression.

"I _am_ serious. I'm thinking about sex. I'm a man. I'm part vampire. All of that screams sex," he said, tracing the line of her chin with his finger, "Speaking of screaming sex…"

Kai descended on her quickly, eagerly claiming her lips with his. She tentatively kissed him back, but pushed him away so she could look in his eyes.

"Kai, don't you think we should talk about everything that's going on?" she asked.

"No, because my gorgeous half-naked Bonnie is lying next to me, so no…no talking," he kissed her again as she giggled into his mouth.

She pushed him back again, but this time, only held him partially away as she stroked his bare chest.

"Just plain Bonnie? What, I don't get a pet name or anything," Bonnie added, smiling up at him.

The look on his face must have been the funniest thing she'd ever seen because she burst into laughter so loud that it echoed off the walls.

Kai thought Bonnie's laugh was the sweetest thing he'd ever heard in his life. It made him feel that there was still good in spite of the world of darkness they shared.

Running his fingers through her hair he considered her question.

"There's nothing plain about you Bonnie," he told her, "What do you want me to call you? Bonster? Bon-Bon?" he asked.

Bonnie shook her head at both suggestions.

"No. Something else. Something new," she said.

Kai thought for a moment.

He remembered the only word that came to mind when he first saw her in the Prison World. It seemed so natural and appropriate to use it.

"Angel," he said, pausing briefly, "And I guess that means I'm the Devil."

"You're bad, but not quite the Devil," she responded.

He kissed her again, this time with even more passion than before. Bonnie moaned into his mouth, arching her back off the bed and pressing into his chest.

He took his right hand and lightly caressed her thigh, tracing a hot path from her knee, and up her hip.

"Although," he whispered, teasing her right ear with his lips, "I don't know if I should call you Angel just yet. Only naughty girls come to bed without wearing any panties."

Kai brushed over her aching mound with his hand, slipping the tip of one finger inside so he could lightly stroke her sensitive nub. Bonnie quickly grabbed a pillow and screamed into it.

He enjoyed sending her into orbit. She had such a power over him that he felt it was only fair to exercise some level of power over her. He wanted to take his time making love to her. She deserved as much happiness as possible since she'd seen so much pain in her life.

Kai was aware that he'd caused some of that pain and he was desperate to erase it all.

He kissed her lips again, sucking each one into his mouth, while licking and nibbling. His tongue swirled around hers, claiming and conquering her all at once.

At the same time, he slowly traced his finger around her pulsating clit. Bonnie dug her fingers into the mattress, but it didn't ebb the increasing tidal waves of pleasure he was sending through her.

After he thought she couldn't take any more torture, he slipped her t-shirt over her shoulders. He then yanked off his boxer briefs and hovered over her. His touch was so deliberate. He needed to explore every part of her at least twice before he decided how best to make her scream his name all over the Salvatore mansion. He smiled when the thought came to him, and then he got into position.

Bonnie struggled to keep the volume of her moans down to a low whimper, but the task proved difficult considering what he was doing.

Each time his skin touched hers, it set her on fire: an intoxicating heat that consumed her over and over again. She tried to grip the pillows on the bed, the headboard, and the sheets: nothing helped to calm the sensations rocketing through her.

He kissed down her body, paying special attention to licking and sucking on each nipple until she nearly pulled out his hair because of the death grip she had on his head. She heard his muffled chuckle at her efforts to calm herself. She released him, only to be rewarded by the sensation of his tongue lapping down the center of her body.

He took his fingertips and lightly siphoned magic from her, producing a delightful tingling sensation from her belly and down to her core. His movements slowed, allowing her a brief respite as she closed her eyes for a moment to bask in the glow he gave her.

Kai then began lapping slowly at her quivering bud, forcing a scream out of her that cracked one of the bedroom windows in half.

He kissed each thigh before sitting up on his knees, reaching down and pulling her bare body against his in one fluid movement. His gaze shook her more than all his kisses and caresses combined. His selfless expression showed his intent to make her happy without regard to his own needs.

Kai picked her up, turning her around, placing his hot chest against her sweaty back.

He pulled her hair away from her neck and kissed it as he slowly lowered her onto his hardened manhood. Wrapping his arms around her, he used his left hand to tease her nipples and his right to stroke her clit.

Bonnie threw her head back onto his shoulder. There was nothing quiet about the noises coming from either of them. The bed creaked loudly as Kai slid in and out of her with expert timing.

He rocked back and forth inside of her, holding her tightly so she could feel every inch of him. His magic hypnotized and energized her. She wanted to give in, but her body thirsted for more of him: his touch, his lips, the feel of him inside her.

"Kiss me," he whispered.

Bonnie craned her neck around just to taste the sweetness of his lips again. She inched closer and closer to the verge of her release. It was too much. She was going to explode and set the entire room on fire.

"What about you?" she moaned, losing herself in waves of passion and magic mingling and coursing between them.

"Let go Bonnie," he panted into her ear, pushing into her again, "I'm right behind you."

His words sent her toppling over the edge of ecstasy. She rocked against him as he stiffened behind her, clutching her waist while he bore the force of his own release. She screamed his name and all the windows in the room shattered at once, blowing shards of glass outside and into the wind. The fireplace roared to life. Candles in the room blazed out of control.

Weak and happy, Bonnie fell onto the bed. Kai curled up behind her and fell back into a deep sleep. She turned around to observe him. He looked handsome and peaceful lying there next to her. It was a welcome change from the tossing and turning from earlier in the day.

The urge to shower overpowered her desire to fall asleep in his arms, so she quietly padded to the bathroom and started the water. She needed to wash away the disturbing thoughts plaguing her: The memory of Lily touching her face and the fear she felt when Elizabeth bound her powers. They haunted her. Lily was dangerous. Elizabeth was powerful. They both needed to die.

The idea of taking another life unnerved her. Good witches don't enjoy killing, and Bonnie needed to decide if she could survive in this world by just being a "good witch."

She'd been one all her life. She tried to live by a moral code: only harming those that posed a threat to herself or her friends, but things had changed so quickly in Mystic Falls. The danger was escalating faster. Lily Salvatore and Elizabeth Parker had a deadly plan they needed her to execute. That plan would most likely result in her death. She'd died before and while she no longer feared it, she didn't exactly welcome it either.

She let the steam and the warm water clear her mind as she lathered herself from head to toe. She became lost in the rhythmic sensation of it hitting her skin. The showerhead was an expensive one, with what felt like a massage mode setting. Thank God the Salvatores had good taste. She hadn't realized the strain that being tied to that altar had placed on her body. The warm water beat against her shoulders, loosening up the muscles so she could stretch her arms above her head.

Bonnie was so consumed basking in her own comfort that she didn't notice the curtain being pulled back until it was too late. Kai stood there, appreciating her as if she were a work of art hanging in a museum.

As he watched her for what felt like an eternity, she finally spoke up, throwing a mischievous smirk at him.

"In or out, bad boy. I'm getting cold," she told him, turning her face into the water.

Kai joined her in the shower without hesitation.

Kai wrapped his arms around her for a brief hug, then he poured ivory colored liquid soap on his hands so he could lather Bonnie properly. He took his time, soaping every inch of her. He started with her shoulders, giving her a quick massage. Her muscles caved in to his touch and she leaned against him in appreciation of his efforts. He caressed her back, her buttocks, then ran his hands down her legs and back up again. Her soft breathing turned into ragged pants as he kissed the back of her neck.

Kai turned Bonnie around and kissed her, stroking her shoulders and trailing down to her breasts. As water washed the soap away, he ran his lips down the center of her chest, caressing her breasts as he went down.

The feel of her smooth wet skin against his lips was nothing short of heavenly for Bonnie's Bad Boy. His lips continued their journey down Bonnie's left side, when he felt the raised skin of a scar. He opened his eyes and saw the water roll over a one inch oval on the bottom inside of her left breast.

Kai's heart stopped. He discovered where he'd shot her with the crossbow. He traced his fingers over the spot, swallowing hard. The guilt began to consume him. He stood up and looked into her eyes. She fought back tears, briefly looking away from him. He lifted her chin, turning her face back to him.

"I know saying I'm sorry is never going to make up for that," he said, his voice shaking. He thought of the emotional and physical scars hat had been placed on him as a child. He wouldn't have wished that on anyone, much less someone he cared about.

"Kai, I know you're not the man you used to be," she told him, "No, it's not okay, but I'm done hating you for it. "

She saw his look of regret and continued.

"What you _can_ do is work hard to make it up to me," she said, giving him her usual sweet smile.

"Bonnie, I promise you two things. First, I will make it up to you, no matter how long it takes. Second, I will kill anyone who tries to hurt you from now on – even it is my mother," he insisted.


	8. Chapter 8

Damon huffed in the Salvatore library. He muttered angrily to himself as he pulled books off the shelves, flipped through the pages and tossed them behind his back once he realized they didn't contain what he needed. He was searching for something in the Salvatore family history that would help him destroy his mother and the Parker witch once and for all.

The loud crash the books made as they slammed into hardwood floor was a welcome change from the sensual sounds coming from upstairs. While he tried to tune it out, he could still hear Bonnie moaning and Kai grunting as they made love in his house. HIS HOUSE. He regretted the quick decision he had made the night before to let Bonnie stay there for her own protection. The thought of Kai - the bastard who put Elena into a sleep coma, killed his pregnant sister, and left Bonnie for dead more than once - touching someone so innocent. It made Damon cringe.

Damon tossed another book behind him, but he never heard it hit the ground. He turned and saw Stefan holding the dark red leather-bound book.

"Stop brooding Damon," Stefan said, tossing the book onto an end table.

"Ah, judgment coming from the king of brooding," Damon said, picking up a random book, opening it and pointing to a page, "Oh look, the definition of brooding – Isn't that your picture there, little brother?"

Stefan knocked the book from Damon's hand.

"Come on, why don't you get out of here for a while. Blow off a little steam," Stefan directed.

"Now why would I need to blow off some steam, Stef?" asked Damon, knowing full well what Stefan meant.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's because our sweet little friend Bonnie is upstairs with someone you hate – someone you killed actually, and you can't do anything about it," Stefan explained.

Damon turned back to his brother and gave him his signature smirk.

"Sure I can," Damon pointed out, "I can rip out his heart and then chop off his head. That should do the trick this time."

"You could, but then she'd hate you and, well, it's not like you've got this big stockpile of friends," Stefan reasoned.

"Thanks for reminding me brother. Incidentally, you're dick when you're not getting laid," Damon said.

"I'm not a dick for pointing out the obvious. I'm your brother and you're just torturing yourself by sticking around here today. You should get out for a while before you say or do something you regret," said Stefan.

"Oh, I already regret plenty of things: Stef," Damon groaned, "I regret saving the little witch when I could have had Elena in my arms right now. I regret trying to protect her all this time. I regret actually giving a shit about what happens to her for the next 60 fucking years. I regret letting her stay here with that little prick of a vampwitch Kai. I regret…. I regret even giving a shit about her at all."

Stefan stepped back, considering his brother's words.

"I see it now. This isn't about being in love with _her_ ," Stefan noted, "You're not jealous because you want her for yourself. You're jealous because she's not focusing her attention on you: she's not being grateful enough. She's not being loyal to you. You're mad because you think she owes you and you want to collect in every way you can just to make yourself feel better."

"That's bullshit Stefan, and you know it," Damon defended himself, but inwardly, he thought about Stefan's words and wondered if there was any truth to them.

"Damon, she doesn't owe you a damn thing! _You_ chose to save her. _You_ told her to leave Kai in the prison world. There is a difference between being in love, needing someone, and wanting someone. _You_ need Bonnie. _You_ want Bonnie. You're not in love with her," Stefan said softly.

Damon thought for a moment then decided changing the subject was the best option at the moment.

"Look, can we just focus on the task at hand, okay?" Damon noted, "We've got a couple of powerful women to kill and no way of knowing how to do it.

The irony of both he and Kai sharing a desperate need to commit matricide bothered him. He didn't want the little bastard's help, but he knew defeating Elizabeth meant teaming up with the prick.

A soft creak sounded behind him as he turned to see Bonnie descend the stairs. She wore a long, black curve-hugging skirt and a simple white blouse that buttoned down in the front. She was stunning and his physical attraction to Elena's best friend made him feel guilty. The friendship they'd built meant something to him, but he was also a vampire with certain.. needs. He had to be careful with whom he exercised those needs.

Stefan was probably right. Perhaps he wasn't in love with her, but Bonnie represented the same strength and sweetness that made him fall in love with Elena. As a mortal, regardless of her magic, she could still die, yet she was afraid of nothing. He admired her. If he really did have to live without Elena for 60 years, Bonnie would be most logical companion for him.

Wading his way through sorority girls would get old. Bedding a random stranger wouldn't matter much either. Yet the formidable Bonnie Bennett possessed a magnificent interior and exterior. He knew he wasn't worthy of her. Neither was - Kai.

Kai followed Bonnie down the steps like a lap dog. Had Damon not been so angry at the idea of the two of them being together, he would have found Kai's trot down the staircase humorous.

Rather than chuckle, Damon let out a low growl. Bonnie wouldn't be able to hear it, but Kai would.

"Good Morning Damon – actually, it was a fucking great morning Damon," Kai chided, throwing Damon a wicked smirk and drawing a sideways glare from Bonnie.

She blushed, but still carried enough of a threat in her stare to put Kai partially back in his place.

Bonnie then turned to Damon and Stefan. She bit her lip before she spoke, trying to tamp down the rest of her embarrassment.

"I'm sorry about the, um, windows," she managed to choke out before realizing that nothing she said would make her feel any less exposed.

Stefan held up a hand as he smiled kindly.

"Don't worry about it Bonnie," Stefan added, "Windows can be replaced easy enough and noises, ahem, can be tuned out."

Bonnie nodded and sat gracefully on the plush sofa, crossing her legs. Kai leapt onto the cushions next to her, placing his head on her lap and batting his eyes up at her.

"What do you want," she said, forcing back a smile. He made her heart flutter. The sensation was difficult to control.

"I want you to run your fingers through my hair," he joked.

"No," she said flatly, looking away from him with no real anger in her voice.

Kai reached up and turned her face to look down at him. He then gave her a wink that made her insides feel hotter than if he had been the Devil himself.

"Behave!" she whispered back.

"Or you'll what," he kidded back, looking her up and down as if he were about to strip her naked right then.

Damon watched them with disgust, making an audible "humph" as he continued brooding by the bookshelves.

A sudden knock at the door startled everyone. Stefan turned to Damon.

"I don't suppose you're expecting anyone?" he asked.

"Nope," Damon answered, tensing up for a fight.

Kai jumped up from the couch and stood in front Bonnie. His eyes turning dark, vampire veins showing. Bonnie had no intention of cowering behind him, but his arms blocked her full view of the door.

No one was getting past him.

Damon cautiously walked toward the knock. As he stepped into the foyer, the door flew open with enough force to knock him over, sending him into the bookcase.

Elizabeth stood in the doorway, her dark hair glowing in the sunlight like a misplaced halo. Stefan launched himself at her only to be thrown back against the fireplace. The flames lapped at his feet, setting his pants on fire. He rolled to snuff out the flames, ending up on all fours and bearing his fangs for another attack.

"Boys, stay where you are," she said in a matter-of fact-tone, "I'm here for a little girl talk."

Kai used magic to lob the coffee table at his mother. She deflected it easily, shattering it against the far wall. He knew it wouldn't hit her, but wanted to send a message: he was no longer the frightened child sitting in the basement of his boyhood home.

Rather than chuckle at his failed attempt to attack her, Elizabeth just smiled at her son with what appeared to be pride.

"Someone's been practicing," she said, "We'll work on your aim later. Right now, I need to speak with Bonnie."

"Over your dead body," Kai threatened.

"Well, well, well. The boy really does have _fangs_ doesn't he?" she chuckled.

Bonnie tried to step around Kai, but he wouldn't budge.

"Come on, Kai. I've got this," Bonnie said.

"She's not coming anywhere near you!" he shouted.

Bonnie gently touched his shoulder.

"She's not here to hurt me," Bonnie noted, "Not today."

Kai looked into her eyes, searching for some reassurance that she knew what she was talking about. He found it, but still only moved one foot to the side, allowing Bonnie to look at Elizabeth. He turned toward her, blocking her with half his body as he slipped his hand into hers.

"Interesting, isn't it Bonnie?" Elizabeth asked, not waiting for a response, "How they gather together to protect the one person in this room stronger than all of them combined."

"What do you want?" Bonnie asked, not bothering to acknowledge the compliment she'd just received.

"Oh, we told you last night that we needed information from you Bonnie…," Elizabeth stopped speaking and held out a necklace with a small silver ring attached at the bottom.

She let go of the necklace and it floated to Bonnie, who caught it in her right hand.

Elizabeth walked casually toward Bonnie and Kai, as she used a spell to prevent Damon and Stefan from lunging at her again. She took her hand, raising it to Bonnie's face, but Kai grabbed her arm.

"You don't get to touch her," he said, glaring at his mother.

"My sweet boy, neither of you is in any danger from me," she said, then turned to Bonnie, "You are so beautiful sweetheart. Strong. Brave. Powerful."

She withdrew her hand from Kai's grasp.

"You're not getting my blood," Bonnie insisted.

"It's not your blood I want," Elizabeth said coldly. She reached for Bonnie's stomach then quickly withdrew her hand.

"Welcome to the family sweetheart," she added.

Elizabeth turned on her heel and headed toward the door.

Bonnie's heart rocketed against her ribcage. It couldn't be. It made no sense. Not this soon.

"I – I'm not pregnant," Bonnie insisted shaking her head.

Elizabeth stopped, facing the feisty Bennett witch.

"Technically not yet, but it's coming. - They're coming… whether you believe it or not," Elizabeth pointed out.

Panic filled Bonnie's lungs. She backed up toward the wall so it could hold her up when her legs gave way. Kai backed up along with her, turning to look in her eyes, then down at her stomach, and back up again.

He spun around back to his mother, his eyes black again.

"You can't have them!" he yelled, his voice shaking the room, knocking pictures and books off the wall.

Elizabeth turned back around, smiling at her son with what appeared to be genuine affection.  
"Malachai, my sweet child. Before this is all over, you will be begging me to take them."


	9. Chapter 9

**_Resurrection_**

 ** _Epilogue_**

Elizabeth's declaration stunned them all into silence long after she'd vanished from the mansion.

The spell paralyzing Stefan and Damon broke and they both stood in shock, staring at Kai and Bonnie as everyone ingested the news.

"Good God. Babies," Stefan muttered, mostly to himself. He shook his head in disbelief and left the room.

"Great, that's just great," Damon said, "Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Douche had to go and reproduce."

Kai turned to glare at Damon. He raised his left hand, clenched his fist, and effectively snapped the sarcastic vampire's neck with magic.

The Damon's body crumpled to the floor in an instant.

Bonnie rolled her eyes at Kai in frustration.

"Oh, come on. Don't tell me you weren't thinking about it," he said, defending his actions, "He chopped off my head, remember? He had it coming."

She exhaled deeply, but didn't bother defending the man she'd only recently begun to call friend.

Once they were alone, Kai leaned down, placing his forehead against Bonnie's as he lightly touched her stomach and gave her a weak smile. He couldn't hear their heartbeats yet, but Elizabeth wouldn't lie about something so important.

He was about to be a father; yet another gift from the Bennett family that he didn't deserve. Their brief courtship produced two lives that needed their eternal protection.

Looking into Bonnie's eyes, he saw love, confusion, fear, and a cautious amount of joy. He knew that her own mother had abandoned her when she was a child. She was short on family and long on enemies.

The new twins could be the last of the Bennett line.

Bonnie would never let her own children go.

Neither would he.

"Your mother – " she started.

"Won't get anywhere near them," Kai added.

"What – what did she mean that we'd beg her to take them? What's wrong with them?" Bonnie asked, her terror increasing.

He gently placed a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Nothing's wrong with them," he assured her, "They're perfect, they're related to me…"

He threw her a smile that was meant to distract her, but it didn't work. She punched him lightly in the stomach.

"… _And,_ you are their mom – so they're going to be beautiful, brave, … and too fucking stubborn for their own good," he added, "See? Perfect."

She smiled back at him, but he knew she was only doing it to make him feel better about her current state of panic.

"Kai, we can't do this alone," Bonnie added, wrapping her arms around his waist. He hugged her back.

Kai kissed the top of her head and swallowed hard before speaking.

"We won't be, but I don't think a couple of vampires are going to be enough," he told her.

"We need witches," she said.

Kai nodded.

"Lots and lots of witches. All kinds. All abilities," he explained.

"I'll talk to Lucy and consult some of the Bennett grimoires so we can find out a way to gather as many good witches as we can," she said, relaxing into his arms.

Kai had never been so happy and so frightened all at once in his life. He had fought darkness throughout his existence – but it was only for his own safety- his own benefit. He'd never fought it for anyone else because he'd never loved anyone else so much. Now he had Bonnie and the babies to consider. They made him happy, but vulnerable.

 _So this was is what it's like to have feelings,_ he thought to himself _._

Rather than dwell on it, he changed the subject to something just as frightening but pleasant.

"Well…. I guess we have a new name for you," he told her – breaking the embrace to give her a smirk, "Bonnie Parker?"

Bonnie smiled up at him, then wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

She kissed his cheek before she answered.

"Bonnie **Bennett** -Parker," she whispered in his ear.

"Is that you're version of a 'Yes,'" he asked.

"Depends: is that your version of a proposal?" she quipped back.

Kai thought about it for a moment. He wasn't a romantic person – not in the least. But this was Bonnie and there were two things to remember: the fact that she deserved the best and the reality that she'd kill him if he didn't give it to her.

Kai looked behind him and found a small red pillow lying on the sofa. He tossed it on the floor, got down on his knees and looked at up at Bonnie. She was shaking, which was ironic since she'd never truly feared him before.

Bonnie tried to speak through the smile spreading across her face.

"You should know that two knees is begging. One knee is proposing," she said.

Kai thought about it for a moment.

"I think I'm going to stick with two knees just in case," he told her, taking her left hand.

He wanted to be coy. He wanted to be charming. He wanted to be epic, but all he could be was totally honest with her.

"Bonnie, I am a cocky, egotistical, and formerly homicidal bastard who doesn't even come close to deserving you. I have done things – so many horrible things – to people, especially to you, that I don't ever deserve to be forgiven for. But the thing is, I do love you, and I know that it's love because it scares the complete and total shit out of me; which, honestly, should scare the complete and total shit out of you too. I can't promise that I will ever be romantic, or even be everything you want. I can promise that I will always protect you, and those crazy little Bennett-Parker witches inside of you. I can promise that I will piss you off at least once a day. I can promise that you _will_ want to kill me sometimes. I promise to fight for you, fight with you, and fight right next to you. That is, if you'll let me," he said, then batted his eyes for effect, "So, what do you say, Bonnie Sheila Bennett? Wanna marry me and be partners in crime?"

Tears stained her face as she yanked him to his feet and gave him the answer he was actually begging for:

"Yes."

 ** _Coming soon, the Resurrection sequel:_** **Gather the Witches**


	10. Chapter 10

Kai straightened his bowtie. Perhaps straightened wasn't the correct word. He pulled, yanked and tugged on the damned thing but it still didn't sit straight on his collar.

He ripped it off, tossing the delicate fabric in the trashcan next to the mirror displaying his very nervous 6-foot frame.

He drew in a deep breath and stared at himself in the mirror. The dark grey tuxedo was impeccably tailored. The white dress shirt looked perfect. Hell even the pants and shoes fit like he'd wanted them to. Nevertheless, the ensemble felt incredibly large on him; much larger than it did in the store.

The suit wasn't the problem. The tie wasn't the problem. He was the problem. His hands shook. His mouth dried up like the Sahara Desert.

 _This is ridiculous_ , he thought. He survived 20 years in solitary confinement. He could certainly survive one wedding ceremony.

The irony wasn't lost on him that the last wedding he'd attended was bloody, violent, and oh yeah, he did try to kill the same woman he would be marrying in a few minutes.

 _You can do this. You can do this._ He chanted to himself. After all, it was only a 30-minute ritual.

 _It's gonna be a piece of cake; a nice piece of sexy, Bonnie cake_ , he thought. One that would be all his in about – Kai glanced at the clock on the wall – 10 minutes.

 _Shit. Do I look okay without the damn tie? No, she'll want the tie. It's her day…but my night, so…On with the fucking tie I guess._

Kai pulls the tie from the trashcan and attaches it to his collar with quivering hands.

He looked outside the window and stared at the flowered arch perched on the lawn outside the Gilbert vacation home on Dunham Lake. Four chairs sat in front of it, each adorned with ivory ribbons and white lilies. Bonnie asked Caroline to decorate and to make it small and intimate event. Surprisingly enough, the blonde vampire didn't overdo it.

 _Holy fuck. She actually listened to us._

Why did they choose this place again? Oh right, it was secluded, nestled deep in the woods next to a sprawling lake.

They should have eloped, but he knew Bonnie would have been disappointed. She deserved an official ceremony and he was going to give it to her; even if he did mean that he had to track down Jeremy to be invited into the lake house. Kai was surprised that Jeremy allowed him inside the Gilbert residence where he eventually to be preparing to marry the guy's ex-girlfriend. Yep. This whole thing was weird, frightening, and wonderful.

Kai whipped out the folded four-inch sheet of paper on which he had written his vows. Preparing for battle took less effort, he thought. Draft after draft was tossed aside over the past three weeks. He finally settled on being clumsy and honest, which is what he always felt around her. The speech was pretty good, but he soon realized that he'd used up most of his good material just proposing to her.

He hoped she'd like it.

Stefan's knock on the door shouldn't have come as a surprise to Kai, but it did. He was caught off guard by the sound, jerking so hard that he dropped the paper with his vows onto the floor. Kai scrambled to pick it up, brush off the imaginary dust, and stuff it back into the pocket of his jacket.

The decent Salvatore brother slowly entered the room with an unfamiliar expression on his face.

"What's wrong?" he asked Stefan.

"Nothing. Nothing. I just wanted to say something before we went out there," Stefan started.

Kai chuckled, but he knew what was coming.

"Bonnie and I have been friends for years. She's like a little sister to me," said Stefan.

"I get that," Kai said, trying hard to be polite even though he knew Stefan's diatribe was unnecessary.

"I know you say you've changed. I accept that. Hell, I'm not one to judge. I changed for someone I loved. It looks like you did too," Stefan pointed out.

"I did," Kai added, "She's worth it."

"Good," Stefan smiled, "Good. Glad you recognize that. Just remember one thing: If you hurt her in any way - I promise you that The Ripper of Monterey is going to pay you a visit, and when he's done, there won't be anything left to bring back."

Stefan adjusted Kai's bowtie, patted him on the shoulder and left the room.

The old Kai would have ripped out Stefan's heart for making such a threat. The new Kai – well, he considered it, but pushed the idea aside for Bonnie's sake. He wasn't going to hurt her, but he respected Stefan's threat as an act of love for Bonnie.

And Bonnie was easy to love.

He turned toward the clock. Five minutes to go.

Bonnie placed her small hands on the bodice of her ivory gown, smoothing out the last few wrinkles. The dress shimmered in the afternoon sun cascading through the picture windows. Her tastefully short train flowed behind her.

Caroline secured a pearl necklace around Bonnie's neck, then adjusted her friend's hair so that her ebony curls cascaded around it.

"Perfect," Caroline said, beaming as if she were a little girl dressing up her favorite doll. She clapped in satisfaction at her bridal masterpiece.

While Caroline's burgundy colored, spaghetti strapped maid-of-honor dress looked fetching on the blonde vampire, nothing could eclipse Bonnie in her lace and chiffon Vera Wang gown (courtesy of a brief trip to New York and a little bit of compulsion.)

"Thank you Caroline. You're wonderful," Bonnie said in a low tone.

"I know you're nervous, but you'll be fine. Those heels are guaranteed not to trip you up while walking down the aisle," Caroline asserted.

"I'm not nervous," Bonnie told her, "I'm sad."

Caroline's expression of shock nearly forced Bonnie to a fit of laughter.

"Aw, honey, why are you sad…you know, if you want to just run off, you say the word. We'll grab my car, pull a Thelma and Louise and get the hell out of here," Caroline offered.

"Oh, that's not what I mean," Bonnie explained, "My dad's not here to give me away. My mom is god-knows-where. My Grams isn't here. I just don't have any family to watch me do this. Then there's Elena. They're all missing it."

Caroline tilted her head and turned on her usual sweetness.

"Oh, honey, we're your family too. We love you and want to see you happy. Besides," Caroline reached down and rubbed Bonnie's stomach, "You do have some little Bonnie Babies in here and Auntie Caroline can't wait to meet them, and spoil them."

Bonnie smiled, wrapping her arms around her best friend.

"I love you, Care," Bonnie said, fighting back tears.

"I love you too, Bonnie Bennett – I mean Parker. Hmm. You _are_ going to hyphenate that, right?" Caroline asked.

"Yep," Bonnie announced, then scanned herself in the mirror one last time before her best friend tapped her imaginary watch and pointed to the door.

Kai stood on the left side of the wedding arch with Stefan standing next to him; wedding ring securely tucked into his right breast pocket. Convincing the vampire to serve as Best Man didn't take much convincing at all. One look into Bonnie's soulful green eyes and Caroline's skeptical blue ones, and his decision was made for him.

The groom bounced in his shoes to tamp down some of his nervousness. After a few seconds of watching Kai squirm, Stefan placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Relax," he whispered to Kai.

"I'm trying," Kai answered back.

"You run, I'll kill you," Stefan threatened.

"I'm not planning on it, but thanks for the vote of confidence," Kai added.

The minister received his cue from Caroline, who waved from the deck to signal that Bonnie was ready to come out. The guests, Tyler, Matt and Jeremy, rose to their feet and waited.

Kai watched the doors of the patio slide open. Caroline walked out, holding a cluster of white roses. He noticed that Stefan's mouth dropped open when he saw her. He looked the young Salvatore up and down and decided it was a good time to tease him.

"Well, look at that. Blondie's got you drooling," Kai chided, "Please don't get it in my tux."

"Shut up!" Stefan snapped back.

Caroline descended the stairs and began walking up the aisle.

Soon, Bonnie emerged, a light breeze swaying her curls from left to right. She clutched her rose bouquet, walking gracefully toward the aisle. She descended the steps, looked up and flashed a perfect smile in everyone's direction.

Stefan turned to Kai, whose mouth was hanging open at the sight of Bonnie in her wedding dress. He smiled, whipping out a handkerchief and handling it to Kai without looking at the befuddled groom.

Kai frowned at his best man.

"It's to wipe up the drool. Wouldn't want you to get it on my tux," Stefan said smirking.

Kai swatted it away and turned back to Bonnie, who had reached her designated spot in front of Caroline.

She looked up at him, eyes flashing. He could barely breathe or think and hoped he remembered his name by the time the service was over.

The minister motioned for everyone to sit down and began his introductory speech. Kai didn't hear it. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. It wasn't until he received an elbow from Stefan that he realized he should be paying attention because it was his turn to speak.

"Um, yes, yes," Kai said looking around.

"Your vows?" the minister instructed.

"Got 'em," he answered, pulling the sheet of paper from his pocket.

Caroline and Stefan chucked in unison, while Bonnie simply smiled wide and took a deep, expectant breath.

Kai bit his lip and began to speak, trying to prevent his voice from wavering.

"My God, you are so damn beautiful," he began, "I don't know why I thought I'd remember what to say while standing up here. So I guess it's a good thing I wrote it down."

Bonnie looked up at him, her eyes glimmering in the fading sunlight.

Kai continued, reading from the paper, but looking up from time to time to gaze at his beautiful bride as he spoke.

"I am no saint, but I'm 100 percent certain that you are. I didn't know anything about love, and that's all you seem to know. It's one of the things you taught me. You are the strongest, bravest, most amazing person I've ever known and I'm both terrified and incredibly happy that you love me. I know I'm not the kind of man you need right now, but I'm gonna be. I know I'm not a hero like you are, but I'm gonna be. I know nothing about being a husband or a dad, but I am going to figure it out. Because you, Bonnie Bennett, you deserve the best and I'm going to give it to you, because I love you," reaching for her and rubbing her stomach, "All of you."

Bonnie swallowed hard and forced back her own tears as she waited for the minister to signal her to speak. She was shaking visibly, so Kai stuffed the paper into his pocket and took her left hand, rubbing the back of it to calm her down.

"Wow. Um…When I dreamed about this moment as a little girl, I don't remember ever having an image of the man I was supposed to marry. I had no idea what he would look like. His eyes. His smile. The sound of his voice. I only remember what I would feel when I was with him. He'd make me feel excited, and a little weak in the knees. He'd be the first to fight for me, and we'd have plenty of fights of our own. He'd challenge me and encourage me. I could be both nervous and brave when I was with him. I would feel like I could be myself, holding nothing back. He'd make me laugh and hold me when I cried. He wouldn't need to be a perfect person; just perfect for me," Bonnie said, looking up at Kai, "So…here you are. And here I am, promising to be your partner in crime – always."

Kai swallowed hard, somewhat frustrated that he had to wait another few minutes before kissing her, picking her up, and claiming every inch of her as his. He waited for cues from Stefan, barely paying attention to the minister actually guiding the ceremony. He heard something about a ring, but didn't respond until Stefan nudged him. He took his free hand and placed the ring on Bonnie's finger, then Bonnie placed a ring on his.

A series of words escaped the minister's mouth, but all either of them heard was a series of "blah, blah, blah with their names scattered in between. It wasn't until the minister asked about objections to the union that Kai began to pay attention.

That's when he smelled the stench of the other Salvatore brother: bourbon and expensive cologne. Damon refused to attend the wedding on principle, but that didn't mean he wouldn't show his face and make a scene. The air was thick with tension as silence fell over the assembled guests.

Damon stood at the end of the aisle, but said nothing, finally sitting down in the last empty chair while scowling at Kai from a distance.

"You may now kiss the bride," was the last direction Kai heard before pulling Bonnie into kiss so hot, the wedding arch caught fire.

She was his. It was a chauvinistic sentiment, for certain, but he wasn't in the mood to care. Bonnie handed her bouquet to Caroline.

"Next," Bonnie winked at her friend.

Kai scooped Bonnie up in his arms, and sped down the aisle toward their temporary honeymoon sanctuary.

The spell cast around the property would last until the next full moon – another three weeks.

They were safe: at least for the moment.


	11. Chapter 11

Bonnie clamped onto Kai's shoulders as he whisked her into the lake house and slammed the door, finally putting her down in the main room. He backed away and stared at her with what could only be described as possession. His smirk told her all she needed to know about his intentions.

They'd had sex plenty of times, yet this was different. Making love on this night meant more than simply an exercise in mutual gratification. It was a bonding intended to be sacred. The tension in the air was thick as his expression changed. He loosened his tie and circled her a few times.

She soon realized his dilemma: He had no clue what he was supposed to do on their wedding night. She knew he'd built this night up in his mind, but he didn't have a plan.

She found it endearing.

Bonnie finally broke the silence between them.

"Kai?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am," Kai answered smiling as he looked down into her eyes.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Trying to decide if I'm going to be naughty or nice with you tonight," he said.

"Oh really? I see. So you're nervous," she smiled back, grabbing ahold of his shirt and pulling him toward her.

"No. Just trying to appreciate you," Kai responded.

Kai broke free of her grasp and walked behind his new bride. He kissed her shoulder as he unzipped the wedding dress, watching it fall in a pool of fabric at her feet. Bonnie wore a white lace bra and panty set that made his mouth water.

"Can't you appreciate me in the upstairs bedroom," she teased.

"My, aren't we bold, Mrs. Parker," he stated.

Being called Mrs. Parker sent erotic shivers down her spine. She liked the sound of his voice when he said it; it was deep and husky – as if the idea that they were married now turned him on in ways even he'd never expected.

Kai stopped circling her; his decision made.

He zipped through the house, placing candles around them. He then closed the curtains. The sun had fallen behind the trees, so only a sliver of light cast throughout the room.

She couldn't see him, but she could feel him – his warmth wrapped around her as his breathing picked up. He brushed her right cheek with the back of his hand.

"I think I'm going to go with nice…just for tonight," he told her, his words coming from the darkness.

Candles lit themselves one by one throughout the room.

Kai stood in front of her, still dressed.

"Well, this isn't quite fair," she told him, crossing her arms in mock frustration.

"I know," he responded, "That's why I want you to undress me."

"Is this your first official husband request?" she asked.

"If you want, I will only make them in the bedroom," Kai said with a wink.

Bonnie smirked at the invitation. Kai's eyes danced as she slowly removed his jacket and threw it behind her. She then took off his belt, dropping it on the floor with a loud, awkward thud that made him jump. They both chuckled at her attempt to be seductive. She had little experience in such matters outside of her relationship with Kai; nevertheless, she continued to work on his clothes.

Bonnie made quick work of removing his tuxedo pants, but she took her time taking off his shirt; slowly unbuttoning it as she batted her eyes at him. She was fully aware that he had no defense against what she could do to him with a simple expression.

She was right.

Kai picked her up, wrapped her legs around him, and kissed her softly as she moaned into his mouth. His hands tugged at the back of her bra. She felt the clasp give way right before it slipped from her shoulders and onto the floor with the rest of their clothing.

Bonnie pulled herself away from him long enough to whisper "Upstairs!"

Kai did as instructed, whisking her up the staircase to the master bedroom, which was bathed in moonlight.

Kai wanted to make her happy. No. He needed to make her happy – especially on their wedding tonight. Nevertheless, his own erotic needs were difficult to push aside as he watched her mostly naked form writhe on the four-poster bed in front of him. She was his, but not as a possession, for, in truth, she owned him more than he cared to admit. But her heart, her body, her desire… all of it was a cherished gift that he could enjoy for eternity – something he swore he never truly wanted until the moment she agreed to marry him. Before this night, he considered "forever" a curse, and now it had become a blessing.

All his senses were tuned into her. His magic simmered just beneath his skin, making it sing with anticipation, but he refrained from using it for fear he would have no control over his power.

He swallowed hard to temper both his vampire and witch abilities in favor of a more human approach.

His naked goddess lay there, anticipating his touch. Her wavy black hair fanned out around the white pillow. Her cocoa skin looked angelically blue in the moonlight sneaking in the windows. Even through the dim light, he could still see her green eyes shimmer, looking at him expectantly.

Neither of them could wait any longer.

Kai broke away from soaking in Bonnie's beauty to light a single candle sitting on top of the dresser. The subtle glow illuminated the room with an orange light as the tiny candle flickered against the walls and the mirror displaying its reflection.

When he returned to the bed, he sat next to her, taking his right hand and using his fingertips to lightly touch every millimeter of her quivering body. Her shaky breaths transitioned into erotic pants as he caressed her skin. He tried to control his breathing. He wanted to make it last for both of them.

Kai replaced his fingers with his lips, lightly kissing her from the ankles, up and down each leg. He then moved up her stomach, purposely avoiding her intimate area so he could tease her.

He traced a circle around her left nipple, then gently sucked the erect bud into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it and causing her to cry out his name in response. He applied the same careful treatment to her right nipple as she arched into him.

He felt Bonnie reach for his erection, but he shifted away from her grasp. He needed to stay in charge or he had no hope of restraining himself. He smiled at her eagerness, then kissed along her collarbone.

He nibbled at her neck, pinching the flesh between his teeth to leave a small mark – his own way of temporarily branding her with his passion. Her earlobes were next. He flicked his tongue over each one as he felt Bonnie shudder beneath him.

"Please?" she whimpered.

"You sure, Mrs. Parker," he whispered back, nibbling on her neck again.

"Kai, please," she responded.

Kai rubbed his manhood along the slit of her entrance, making her moan loudly.

"For me?" begged Bonnie, reaching up to stroke his face.

"Say it first," Kai said, kissing her cheek. He made a slow grinding movement against her sex before she answered him.

"Say, mm, say what?" she groaned. She couldn't take it any longer. His teasing was driving her insane. Her head tossed from side to side.

"One word," he told her.

Bonnie frowned slightly. She soon smiled, and remembered what she'd said to him after they'd made love the first time.

"Heaven?" she said.

Kai nodded, sinking into her treasure and whispering her name with a slow exhale of breath.

"Heaven."

He intended for his movements to be slow and deliciously sensual for the both of them. He hoped it would give them both time to enjoy the moment, reveling in the pleasure they gave one another, but it was too much.

All of his senses and instincts were screaming at him, almost drowning out Bonnie's passionate cries. He exerted an immense amount of energy to control his magic and his blood lust. His fangs started to descend the closer he came to release. Slowing down wasn't helping. Speeding up would mean disaster.

Appearing to sense his struggle, Bonnie looked up at him, rubbing her finger across his mouth. He felt the pad of her thumb graze across one of his fangs.

"Let go," she insisted.

"No, not yet," he told her.

Bonnie grabbed him around the ribs and rolled over on top of him, straddling his waist and guiding him back inside her. She couldn't contain her enthusiasm at being able to flip him over with little effort. Her smile lit the room brighter than any candle.

Bonnie grasped his hands and pinned Kai's arms over his head. She leaned down, sucking his lower lip into her mouth and biting it. The sudden sharp pain didn't hurt much, but Kai understood this was her way of marking him as well.

She whispered in his ear.

"Let go," she directed, "Witch. Vampire. Just let go. I can take it."

They had channeled each other's magic before, but Kai was still uncertain. He slowly released some of the power building in his fingertips. Bonnie smiled as it bounced from his hands to hers and back again.

She sat up and began to grind against him. She placed his hands on her breasts and encouraged him to caress her. He gave in, palming the supple flesh that tickled his palm as the areola hardened beneath it.

Kai concentrated as much as he could, slowly releasing more of his magic into her. He started with her breasts, and moved down to grip her waist. He pulled himself deeper into her. He watched as Bonnie licked her lips and her eyelids closed.

She was close.

So was he.

He could hear her heartbeat pick up speed with each thrust and grind. A beautiful vein in her neck called to him. It pushed against her skin – eager to be pierced, licked, and sucked to satisfaction.

 _Human. Human. Tonight, I'm human. I'm just a man._

But he wasn't just human. He wasn't just a man.

Bonnie looked down at him. She used her hand to stroke the vein seductively.

That was all the permission he needed. He pulled her down so her chest pressed into his.

His fangs pierced her neck as orgasms rocked them both. Her hands clenched his shoulders as she rode the waves of her release.

Hopelessly euphoric, he gently drank sips of blood from his bride. A sharp pain suddenly struck his own neck and a small set of lips massaged his skin. After a few moments of letting her "drink" from him, he rolled them both over - breaking away from her neck so he could pull her into a kiss.

Kai smiled down at Bonnie. He stroked her hair and nuzzled her cheek.

"You're a little bit kinky, Bon-Bon. I think I like it."

Bonnie threw him a wicked grin, climbing on top of him again.

"Oh, I'm just getting started," she asserted.

 ** _Research_**

Kai watched Bonnie as she sat at the end of the dock, dangling her feet lazily in the water. She was dressed in one of his white t-shirts and a pair of light grey pajama shorts. Her hair was pulled away from her face in a neat ponytail. Cinnamon colored lip-gloss adorned her lips. She wore no other makeup. She needed no enhancement. Bonnie was beautiful no matter what she wore, but for some reason, on this morning, she was especially stunning. She was engrossed in reading one of the old Bennett grimoires when he approached, the wooden slats creaking beneath him.

He sat next to her, nudging her lightly with his shoulder.

"Hey Parker," he said.

"Hey Parker," she answered.

"What are you doing?" he asked, hoping it had nothing to do with the constant danger they were in.

"I'm searching for a summoning spell," she told him, "Trying to call other witches to us without drawing any unwanted attention."

Kai nodded. He understood her need to be prepared coming battle against Elizabeth, but he still wanted to steal a few more moments with her- just for them. He knew it wasn't going to be easy.

"Did you find anything yet?" he asked, stroking her lower back.

Bonnie's eyes closed. A smile broke across her face and she placed the book behind her.

"I have a few ideas," she told him, "But first we need to make a beacon to draw them here. The elders of each coven will sense it and contact their coven members accordingly."

"Ok," Kai said, leaning over and kissing her cheek.

"I need you to do something for me," she started.

"I'm ready if you are," he smirked as he began to kiss her neck.

"Not that Mr. One Track mind," she said, "I need you to teach me to fight. Not just defend myself, but actually go on the offensive. I want to kill and not regret it."

A serious expression hovered over her face.

"Bonnie, I don't think that's a good idea," Kai said, frowning.

"I'm tired of being helpless, damn it. I need to protect my family. I've lost too many already," she snapped back.

Kai laced his fingers with hers.

"That's not what I mean. And you're not helpless," he told her, "You've kicked my ass more than once. But that side of me isn't something I want to let out again. I can't guarantee I can control it."

"We don't have a choice, Kai. She's coming for them," Bonnie said.

"She'll die first," Kai insisted.

"Just teach me – Please," she pleaded.

He couldn't say 'no' to her.

"Ok. I'll help you fine-tune your magic. I'll help you fight, but not to kill. You don't want that kind of burden on your shoulders."

"I can handle it," she insisted.

"I know how strong you are, but it's the guilt that'll haunt you. The memory of every person you kill running around in your brain. I don't want that for you," he stated.

"Kai, it's either them or us – you know that," Bonnie stated.

The truth of her words ripped through him. They'd been happy. Truly happy, even with fear always lurking in the background.

Elizabeth presented a real threat to that happiness. She was deadly, ruthless, and cunning. Those that followed her example would be equally as dangerous.

As fast as he was, as strong as he was, he would not be able to kill them all. Not alone. He needed to teach her and, in doing so, touch that part of him that remained dormant.

To save their lives, he'd have to become the man she used to hate.

"Fine," he finally told her, "But you have to promise me something."

"Which is?" she asked, giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

"That if I lose control," Kai said, "…. I want you to kill me."


	12. Chapter 12

Bonnie stood in front of her bedroom mirror, examining her slight frame for some sign that she would become the mother of not one, but two infants in a matter of months. Exhaling slowly, she closed her eyes and placed her hand on her belly button. The skin beneath her hand felt soft and unusually warm. She quickly pulled it away as if she'd been shocked by an electrical current. She tugged her top back down.

She hadn't felt nauseous yet, but she knew it was coming judging by her recent sensitivity to every scent in the house, no matter how faint. Kai mercifully avoided certain spices when he cooked their meals, but the lack of flavor did nothing for his own palate.

Eight weeks had passed since Elizabeth's visit to the Salvatore mansion. There had been no Heretic attacks. Lily was nowhere to be seen. It was quiet.

Too quiet.

Bonnie and Kai returned to her grandmother's house, casting a boundary spell along the property's boarders to keep out uninvited guests. Their plan was to eventually move to a safe house outside of Mystic Falls; a place no human or supernatural creature would know about. She needed place where she could progress through her pregnancy in peace.

Peace.

Bonnie had forgotten what "peace" looked like over the past few years. Peace meant nothing ever since the Salvatore Brothers decided to return to her hometown, bringing with them their drama and their enemies. Since their arrival, she'd lost so much yet fate handed her a new chance to rebuild her family and her life.

She wouldn't lose it all without a fight.

Bonnie soon focused her efforts on calling other witches to Mystic Falls for the inevitable battle with Elizabeth, Lily and the Heretics. Her enemies had a mysterious plan involving her unborn children, but she didn't know what it was or even how to stop them. Contacting the other witches and bringing the covens together would hopefully help her to figure out how to stop them.

The summoning spell required ingredients that were difficult to procure in small town Virginia, so Bonnie enlisted her cousin Lucy's help in retrieving some of them. Lucy had quickly become the sister Bonnie always wanted while growing up. The two practiced spells scrawled within the binders of the Bennett grimoires at least once per week. It was a chance for Bonnie to be around another Bennett witch, to learn from their history and to find a way to chronicle her own expanding Bennett line.

Kai sat in on their sessions in the beginning, but soon realized that it was the equivalent of Bonnie having her weekly "girl time" with Lucy, so he quickly stepped aside. He knew she needed a break from his frequent hovering over her.

She understood his concern. She shared it, yet the reality of their situation surrounded her without ever fully sinking into her soul.

Bonnie stroked her stomach again in disbelief. While there was no bump there, she could sense them somehow. While Kai could hear their tiny heartbeats after four weeks, her awareness of them was much more complicated. She felt their presence in her womb. She knew their genders as well: both boys.

She started thinking of names for them as a smile slowly spread across her face. She chuckled as she thought of the conversations she'd had with Kai over the past several weeks. He kept suggesting funny rather than appropriate names for their children.

Their most recent debate happened after breakfast that morning.

"How about Simon and Garfunkel?" Kai asked.

"No!" Bonnie answered.

"Laurel and Hardy," he offered.

"Don't think so," she responded.

"No," Bonnie laughed, "Enough with the dynamic duo names."

"Starsky and Hutch?" Kai added.

"Stop it!"

"I've got it. These are winners," Kai said with a mouthful of toast in his mouth.

"This better be good," she responded.

"James and Dean," he offered.

"That's actually not that bad, but no," she insisted, still, she made a mental note of that suggestion for later.

He smiled at her, then walked around the table to rub her back and whisper in her ear.

"What about Nicholas and Simon," he says quietly.

Bonnie's heart fluttered when she heard him say it. Actually, the flutter was somewhere in her womb, but it radiated up her midsection and to her heart. She refused to believe that the babies actually heard Kai's suggestion and were responding to it.

"I actually kind of like those," she told him, "Who are they?"

Kai was quiet for longer than was comfortable before answering. He looked away from her.

"They were the – um – the names of two of my -," he started to choke on the words, so she stopped him. She already knew what he was trying to say.

The hurt spread across his handsome face.

"I'm gonna take a quick walk. I'll be back in a little while, Beautiful," he told her.

He kissed her cheek and headed outside, disappearing into the trees that lined the backyard.

Their baby naming conversation took place three hours before her millionth visit to the mirror, and he hadn't returned.

She wanted to worry about him, but she knew he could take care of himself and that he would return soon.

Bonnie kept staring downward at her stomach trying to picture what her expanding belly would look like one month, two months or five months into the future. She rubbed her skin below the navel and muttered a silent chant, a blessing.

She was so consumed with her thoughts that she didn't notice Kai standing in the doorway watching her until she looked back up to the mirror and saw him leaning against the doorjamb watching her.

"It's not like you to spy, Mr. Parker," Bonnie joked, "I figured you'd prefer making a grand entrance."

Kai looked her up and down before he spoke.

"Technically, I'm not spying. I'm staring," he told her, pushing away from the door and walking up behind her. He looked at the two of them in the mirror, wrapping his arms around her and rubbing her stomach.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yep," he quickly answered. She didn't bother asking him to elaborate. Instead, she changed the subject.

"You still hear them, right?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, "Everything's fine. What? Am I going to be your 24 hour baby monitor from now on?"

"No, I just – I just wish I could hear them too, that's all," she responded, turning to face him.

"You'll get to hear them when we go to the doctor. I compelled us an appointment in a couple of weeks," Kai said.

"You compelled an appointment? You do realize that most people just call up a doctor's office and ask nicely?" she asked.

"I could, but then it wouldn't have been nearly as fun," he answered, kissing the top of her head.

When she pulled away, she noticed the vampire veins showing on his face. He was hungry.

Bonnie held out her wrist for him to feed from her. She couldn't remember the last time he had – eaten. So much had happened over the past several weeks, that she didn't consider Kai's blood diet as a priority.

Rather than take her offer, he frowned at her suggestion.

"I'm not feeding on you!" he said, his expression one of surprise that she would even make the suggestion.

"Why not?" Bonnie asked.

"I'm not making you my human blood bag, Bon. Besides, I don't know what that would do to you or them. I'm not risking it," he insisted.

"I see," she said, suddenly feeling flirty, "So you don't like taking risks?"

Bonnie started opening her top one button at a time. She looked up into his eyes, batted her eyelashes and pouted.

Kai bit his lip and turned his face away from her, but Bonnie knew his restraint would break soon. His breathing had picked up. It always did when she tried to seduce him. While she was no expert at flirtation, she fully understood what it took to turn on her favorite bad boy. It was only a matter of time before he caved in and she enjoyed being the one to chase him.

Once all the buttons were undone, she tossed the top aside. She walked closer to him – as close as she could get without touching him. She wanted him to feel the heat, their heat. She wanted to wrap herself up in it and take Kai with her.

"Why are you misbehaving?" he said as he failed to hold back a smile.

"Are you telling me you're not going to touch me for the next six months?" she asked.

Kai ran the back of his hand along her silken black bra. He then traced the outline of her breasts with his fingertips. The sensual heat he always generated in her returned, more potent than ever.

"Oh, I'm going to touch you plenty, but …" he started.

"But what?"

"I don't want to hurt you," he insisted.

"I'm tougher than I look," she added, "You should know that by now."

"I know just how tough you are," he asserted, "I'm still going to be extra careful."

"Suit yourself," she teased, removing her bra and tossing it at his head.

Kai chuckled, briefly allowing the worried look on his face to fade. She slinked back to the doorway, leaning against it. She traced her finger down her cleavage and watched as his gaze followed her movements.

Bonnie kicked off her white canvas shoes and shimmied out of her gray cotton leggings. She stood there in only a pair of black panties, pouting at him as an invitation for him to misbehave a little too.

Kai bit his lip as he watched her, removing his black coat and shoes, then shedding himself of his t-shirt and jeans.

Clad only in dark blue boxer briefs, he walked over to her and snaked an arm around her waist pulling him to her.

"You're so naughty, Mrs. Parker," he said.

He scooped her up and walked her to their bedroom, placing her on the bed with care. He stared down at her as if he was trying to figure out whether to let his heart or his libido take over.

Kai apparently opted for the heart. He positioned himself on the bed next to her, stroking her skin from her neck down to her thighs. She moaned. He was being too gentle again and it was driving her insane. She wanted him to rip off her panties and have is way with her. She arched into his touch, prodding him on, but he didn't relent.

His talented fingers skimmed over her panties, but he didn't dip inside them to touch the emerging wetness there.

"You're being bad," she moaned.

"Nope," Kai whispered, "Just taking my time to explore and admire the view, and it is such a perfect view."

Kai leaned in and kissed her lips softly. He teased her tongue with his, while his hand right hand made slow deliberate movements around each nipple, allowing his magic to make her skin tingle.

As her nipples hummed, he moved his lips down to her neck. She turned her head to give him more access for a bite, but he didn't take the bait. He moved down to her chest, lightly sucking at one nipple then moving to the other. He then licked a path between her breasts and down to her navel.

Kai blew a hot breath on the outside of her panties. She lifted herself off the bed.

"Please!" she begged.

Kai, being merciful, removed her panties, slowly dragging them from her legs as he kissed down the invisible path made by the fabric.

Her eyes were closed, but she managed to find the top of his head, grabbing it with both hands and pulling him up to kiss her lips again.

She wanted to look in his eyes when she made her next request.

"Kai, don't make me wait for it. I swear I'm gonna explode and take you with me," she pleaded.

He chuckled softly, giving her another quick peck on the lips before shedding his own boxers, allowing his rock hard length to spring free.

"I am such a good husband," he joked, nibbling at her ear while teasing her with his rigid tip.

She moaned back at him. She usually liked the foreplay just as much as the main event, but she'd grown impatient with his patience lately.

After all, there are times when a woman just wants to be fucked like the end of the world is coming, so she deserves to come first.

Kai kissed her lips as he rolled them over, slowly sliding her on top of his cock and making them both groan so loudly that the walls shook. Bonnie had resolved herself to the fact that sex with Kai would always be epic, but it still didn't diminish the delicious shock of pleasure that coursed through her each time they made love.

He stilled his movements, allowing her to adjust to him at her own pace. Bonnie then began to ride him, teasing them both although she knew the teasing wouldn't last long. Her thrusts quickly become more precise as she picked up speed. He started to rise up to meet her thrusts, but she held him down gently, showing him she wanted to do all of the work.

She could tell he was fighting to stay still. He tossed his head from side to side and gritted his teeth as the pleasure began to overwhelm him just as it did her.

Kai reached up to caress her nipples, allowing the sharp buds to tickle his palms as they both hovered closer and closer to their release.

Bonnie grabbed his hands and let them knead the pliable flesh of her breasts. The closer she came to orgasm, the more she wanted to dominate him. She grabbed his hands and pinned him down to the bed. The sudden movement shocked him, but he didn't fight against it. It appeared to turn him on even more, if that were possible.

Bonnie claimed his mouth with hers as she rode him harder, making small semi-circles with her hips. The new movement was driving them both insane.

Her speed picked up ever so slightly and she soon became aware that both of them were close to getting what they needed. Still, she wanted to give Kai something more.

She tore herself away from his lips long enough to whisper in his ear.

"Bite me when you come," she begged him in her sexiest voice, "Please."

She pulled away and she could see the vampire veins showing around his eyes again. His hips lifted off the bed to meet her thrusts, and his legs began to stiffen.

He was close. His fangs descended and he slowly sunk them into her neck while thrusting into her one last time. He came. She came. He sucked on her neck while she shook through intensity of her orgasm.

Kai pulled away from her, laying her gently on the mattress next to him. He stroked her hair gently as guilt swam through his blue/grey eyes.

She knew his concern for her well-being was justified. His adjustment to the heretic lifestyle had been a rocky one. There were nights he couldn't sleep because vampire hunger overpowered his witch nature. It was stronger and more volatile than he'd expected. As a result, he did his best to feed when she wasn't around. Animal blood was never enough, so he amassed a collection of blood bags from various hospitals up and down the East Coast. He didn't steal too much from one facility so his efforts at satisfying the hunger would remain undetected.

Bonnie could hear him pacing at night. The floorboards creaked beneath his heavy boots as he tried to calm himself down. He was desperate to keep his promise to never hurt her again, but in order to do so, he needed to rein in his own demons – ones he'd fought all his life.

Kai's kiss on her forehead jarred Bonnie from her worries about her new husband. He turned her head to see the mark he'd made on her neck.

"I'm sorry," he said, quietly.

Kai bit into his wrist as he watched Bonnie's neck bleed. He held out his arm for her to drink from him, when he stopped moving, and then he stopped breathing.

"Kai?"

He didn't answer. His expression of guilt turned immediately to shock.

Kai looked from her neck and into her eyes, then back to her neck again.

"Kai, you're officially scaring me," she said as she sat up.

"Bon," Kai started cautiously, "You're healing on your own."

Bonnie clutched her throat, feeling only smooth, warm skin underneath her palm.


	13. Chapter 13

**Resurrection**

 **Chapter 13**

By V.C. Turner

A blood-curdling scream broke through the blackened room, jarring Kai awake and placing him in a panic-stricken state. Four rapid heartbeats thundered in his ears, the result of a terrified Bennett-Parker family.

The hair on his neck stood up as his skin vibrated at the sound. Bonnie tossed and turned next to him. Her violent thrashing stirred her magic and made the house quake on its foundation.

"Bonnie!" he yelled as she tried to shake her from her dream, but it was no use. Lost in some imagined torment, his new bride fought helplessly to wake up.

He turned on the lights, scanning the room in search of an intruder that might be casting a spell on her. He saw nothing other than pictures bouncing against the walls and candles toppling from their pedestals.

Tears trickled down Bonnie's face as Kai frantically sought a way to get her to open her eyes and free her from the darkness in her mind.

He placed a gentle kiss on her lips and her eyes – part of his usual morning routine - in order to wake her. Nothing.

He tried sprinkling cold water on her face. Again: nothing.

No conventional method worked, and he began to think that a magical force had trapped her in the nightmare – most likely his mother.

Fighting magic with magic could be dangerous, but Kai would do anything for Bonnie. He flipped through his Gemini grimoire as well as the Bennett spell book. Sweat beaded his forehead. His hands shook. His mouth went dry.

He pulled out a map of Virginia - one Bonnie had previously used to track down lost family members.

Only Kai wasn't searching for a Bennett this time.

He was looking for a Parker witch.

He sliced into his hand, letting the blood fall trickle onto the map as he chanted a locator spell in Latin. The droplets of blood pooled beneath his hand, but didn't move along the map to indicate a specific location.

Elizabeth couldn't be found. It was entirely possible that she'd cloaked herself in some manner, but the spell Bonnie cast around the property would have exposed her.

Kai finally decided the best way to help would be to try and enter her dream, see what she was seeing, and force her to wake up. He used dream jumping as his last resort because he felt she deserved her privacy, regardless of his own curiosity.

He wrapped his hands around hers and concentrated, slipping into her thoughts as the darkness cleared and he could focus on the images that terrified the woman he loved.

An eerie orange glow flooded his vision, followed by Bonnie's screaming. He turned toward the sound to see Bonnie tied to an altar, covered in blood and about to give birth their children.

He ran to her only to be stopped by a barrier of salt encircling the stone altar. She looked at him and called his name as an ache built up in his chest.

"Bonnie: listen to me. You need to wake up," he pleaded.

"Kai, I can't. Help me," Bonnie said, weeping uncontrollably out of his reach.

"I'm getting you out of here!" Kai shouted back.

He looked around the church for something to use to break the barrier when he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"You can't save her. You can't save any of them," Elizabeth said, her threat sending a chill down his spine.

Rage fueled in that moment. Without looking, he felt her presence in the room, and used his vampire speed to pin her against the far wall.

"I don't give a damn if you're real or not. You need to die," Kai threatened, remembering each word of venom she had ever spewed in his direction.

"If you think murdering me in a dream is going to keep you or them safe – believe me: it won't," Elizabeth said, "Give them to me willingly, Kai and Bonnie stays safe."

"You're killing her!" Kai yelled at his mother, a murderous look on his face as he pressed his fingers deeper into her neck. His vampire veins flashed under his eyes, which grew darker with each moment that he allowed her to breathe.

"I'm not the one killing her, son," Elizabeth said, straining to speak against her closing windpipe.

Kai noticed that her expression held a certain pity behind her obvious fear. Why would she feel sorry for him now after all those years of torment she lavished upon him? Why should she care about his spouse and children when she clearly never cared about her own?

"Elizabeth, this scene has played out before: you and Lily tying Bonnie to an alter, ready to murder her. You lost then. You're gonna lose now," he threatened, squeezing her throat tighter.

Short gasps emerged from her mouth as her eyes closed

"Are you sure _I'm_ the one that's going to lose," she managed to whisper before her windpipe shattered beneath Kai's hand and she crumpled into a heap at his feet.

Kai breathed a sigh of relief as her lifeless body laid before him. A small part of him felt remorse at the thought of killing his own mother, but he pushed the feeling away.

Running to Bonnie's side, Kai untied her hands and feet, then scooped her up and took her out of the church.

Light flooded his vision again, only this time it came from their bedroom windows. He looked down and saw Bonnie lying in his arms; her glistening green eyes beginning to flicker open.

She reached up and touched his face.

"Kai?" she asked in a weak voice.

"Yeah, Bon?" he answered, stroking her hair.

"You saved me again," she said, a small smile playing across her lips as she slowly sat up, "I love the hero version of you."

"You know, more than one person is allowed to wear the cape in this family," he smirked at her, and then kissed her forehead.

Bonnie wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him tightly as he hugged her back with caution. Everything that ever mattered to him was encased in this tiny woman that now carried both his name and his children.

He'd fight for them. He'd die for them. And regardless of how much it bothered him to think of it: He would kill for them as well.

Kai's mind flashed back to the dream memory of killing his own mother to save Bonnie and the children. While he didn't regret the action, something else stirred deep within him. Possessing a conscience carried several strange burdens along with it. The killer he'd been in his youth was now being tempered by the killer he needed to become. Being half vampire only escalated his inner conflict.

The surge of power.

The thirst for blood.

The need for vengeance.

The fierce devotion to Bonnie and his unborn children.

He would go insane if he focused on it for too long.

He chose, instead, to focus on the other three heartbeats in the room; all of which had slowed since waking from the dream.

Bonnie broke Kai from his thoughts when she kissed his cheek. He turned to her, noting that her worry and fear had finally dissipated. His Bonnie had come out of the darkness once again.

"Are you okay?" she asked, stroking his cheek with her right hand.

"I'm fine," he lied, knowing she could tell.

Bonnie lifted his chin so he would look her in the eyes. She always saw through him.

"I love you, Kai. Even when you try to protect me with a lie: I love you," she told him, "But you're not in this alone, so why don't you help me fight _with_ you."

Kai simply nodded, knowing that arguing with a Bennett was useless.

Standing outside in the sun, Bonnie rubbed the skin where Kai's bite had been. She'd never healed that quickly without needing to drink vampire blood. She could only assume that the babies must have had something to do with her new ability – if she could call it that. She could feel their power increasing steadily as the weeks went by.

She assured Kai that she would be fine, but she still felt better about him spending the day with her, practicing magic and getting stronger in both mind and body.

Kai stood behind her, his hands clasping firmly on Bonnie's waist as she stared intently at the line of six bottles perched on the railing of their back deck. She then looked at the wooden targets placed randomly in the back yard.

She breathed in and out slowly, preparing herself.

Bonnie needed to learn to defend herself – to focus her magic and also draw power from him for the coming battle against Elizabeth, Lily, and their band of merry-less heretics.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Yeah, think so," she said, shaking her hands at her sides.

"You focused?" he asked, stroking her arms, lightly.

"I will be when you stop doing that," she answered.

Kai did as she asked, giving her a quick kiss on the top of her head.

"Sorry – sort of," he added, "Now, breathe in slowly, then back out again. Feel the magic boil up from your chest, down your arms and out of our fingertips."

Bonnie inhaled, the magic rising within her and running down her arms and into her palms.

"Now!" he told her.

Kai used vamp speed to run into the yard and throw a target into the air. Bonnie used magic to launch a bottle at it – hitting it in the center with ease.

Kai ran to the next target, this time throwing it at her. She deflected the wooden board by knocking it away with the second bottle.

Bonnie hit target after target with relative ease, her magic feeling sharper than ever before. Rather than consumer her, it flowed within her like the Bennett blood coursing through her veins. It electrified her.

Kai ran back to her, pulling her into an unexpectedly passionate kiss before letting her go.

Bonnie blushed under his heated stare.

"Not bad, Parker," he pointed out.

"Bennett-Parker," she added, "And apparently magic gets you hot."

Kai smirked.

"Well, we could skip the rest of practice and I can show you just how hot it can make the both of us," Kai cajoled.

Bonnie, tempted by the idea, knew that practicing magic should come first.

"I tell you what: if you behave yourself for another half an hour, then we can misbehave for the rest of the day," she offered.

"Deal," Kai agreed, "Now close your eyes."

Bonnie smiled as he pulled her him. He kissed each of her eyelids before speaking again in a soft voice.

"I do love you, Bonnie," he said, unexpectedly.

"I love you too," she told him.

"Ready to try a Parker family trick?" he asked a few quiet moments passed between them.

Bonnie took in another deep breath.

"As ready as I'll ever be," said.

"Remember what I taught you: this is like any other game of hide and seek," he instructed, "You need to disappear and come back at will. It's going to help with fighting attackers that are much faster than you, okay."

Bonnie nodded.

"Good," he said as he kissed her cheek, "Now, do it."

"Invisique!" she said aloud, vanishing from his arms.

Kai smiled in appreciation at her success. She'd been working on the spell for the better part of a week, and he was proud she'd passed the test. Mastering it required a Latin incantation chanted in the mind, followed by the word "Invisique" spoken aloud. A witch was required to connect with the elements, allowing them to shield her from the sight of everyone else. Each element – air, earth, fire, and water – all played a role in the spell. And the spirits had to be willing.

After 15 seconds, Bonnie was supposed to reappear at the bottom of the steps.

She never did.

Kai waited.

Another minute passed. Bonnie was still gone.

Panic began to set in. He frowned, his breath picking up along with the afternoon breeze.

"Bonnie?" he said, looking from side, and pacing along the deck.

Over the past several weeks, they had learned to sense one another's magic.

Only now, he couldn't feel her presence.

Her magic called to him like a lighthouse beckoning a ship through the fog toward the shore.

Only now, he felt nothing.

Elizabeth had found them, he thought, but it didn't make sense. They'd been so careful, erecting a magic barrier along her property during a full moon. They told no one where they were going. They made sure to cast spells to cover their tracks when they traveled.

No. Elizabeth only appeared in Bonnie's dream. She couldn't have found a way inside their barrier.

Or could she?

Elizabeth's final words to him in the dream echoed in his head: "Are you sure I'm the one that's going to lose?"

"Bonnie!" the panicked scream erupted from his mouth. His magic ignited, charged with fear for Bonnie and hatred for his mother.

Kai ran into the yard, using his vampire senses to see if he could smell her blood, but he couldn't concentrate.

He was helpless. He couldn't lose her. Not this soon. He couldn't lose his family. Not again. God: It was his fault.

Kai bounded up the back steps and into the house. He needed help, but he could only think of one number to dial. Once he found the device, he leaned on the counter for support and scrolled through the contacts.

A warm breeze wafted through the house. Kai had left the sliding door open. She'd been gone less than five minutes, yet he was a wreck without her.

Bonnie and the babies were the only real family he had left.

Bonnie saw the panic in Kai's face, but could do nothing to ease his pain. She'd worked so hard on the spell. She couldn't understand why she wasn't able to reappear in front of him like they'd planned. She called his name several times, but he continued to act as if she wasn't there. For a brief moment, she thought he was playing a trick on her, but once Kai picked up the phone to dial for help, she knew he was serious.

She felt trapped, as if she were still a ghost haunting him in her own home.

A slight rustle disturbed her thoughts. A cold chill crept over her as she turned around. Her magic suddenly surged through her veins, igniting a fire in her that was reserved for only the deadliest of enemies.

"Hello, Bonnie," Elizabeth Parker said, looking past Bonnie's shoulder, "Oh, he can't see you by the way – not unless I allow it."

Bonnie's hands burst into flames as she chanted. She threw a fireball at Elizabeth's head.

The elder Parker witch dodged the blast, and stood smiling back into Bonnie's eyes.

"Now sweetheart, is that any way to treat family?" Elizabeth smirked.


End file.
